Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong has this weekend made known his frustration with some of the criticism consistently sent his way by fans.
This comes amid the assurance on the part of the midfielder that many are simply not paying close enough attention to his performances.
De Jong has of course long stood as something of a polarising figure in the game.
Whilst many hail the former Ajax talent as one of the standout midfielders in world football, others argue that he is often too passive, and fails to impact proceedings to the extent which his abilities should allow.
De Jong is for his part fresh off a fine individual showing on Saturday, en route to The Netherlands putting five past Sweden at the World Cup.
Speaking to the media post-match, the 29-year-old therefore made use of the opportunity to fire back at his many critics, explaining to VI:
“Many people actually understand nothing about football. They watch, but they don’t really see. I hear people saying I never play forward passes… but that’s simply not true. Then you’re not really watching.”
Frenkie de Jong: “Many people actually understand nothing about football. They watch, but they don’t really see.
“I hear people saying I never play forward passes… but that’s simply not true. Then you’re not really watching”, told VI. pic.twitter.com/c9ud20soiQ
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 21, 2026
Conor Laird – GSFN