Frenkie de Jong sends clear message to Flick over playing position: ‘Everyone knows I’m a midfielder’

Frenkie de Jong sends clear message to Flick over playing position: ‘Everyone knows I’m a midfielder’ Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has made his preference regarding his position clear to Hansi Flick, insisting that his long-term future remains in midfield. The comment comes after he was used at right-back during the Blaugrana’s recent victory over Atletico Madrid in La Liga. De Jong’s message to Flick Interestingly, the game against Atletico Madrid was not the first instance in which Flick had used De Jong out his natural position. The Barcelona coach deployed the Netherlands international as a centre-back in the team’s win over Alaves not long ago. And while De Jong did well in both unfamiliar roles, he remains perfectly clear about where he wishes to play in the long run. De Jong filled in at right-back against Atletico Madrid. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images) Speaking in an interview with ESPN (h/t SPORT ), De Jong made it perfectly clear that he is willing to fill in wherever the team needs him, but believes there should be no doubt about his natural position. “If the manager asks me to play in defence, I’ll do it, but that won’t be the case in the long term. Everyone knows I’m a midfielder,” he stated. “Other managers have done it. At Ajax, and at Barcelona sometimes too – under Koeman at one point, and under Xavi on several occasions,” De Jong added. Hitting back at critics Meanwhile, the Barcelona midfielder also addressed the criticism he has received over his individual performances, suggesting that his contribution is often judged through the wrong lens. Fully recovered from his physical issues. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) “People don’t watch matches regularly. Few watch the full ninety minutes. They don’t really understand the game, nor do they realise what’s happening on the pitch, or the reasoning behind the decisions that are made,” he said. “The easiest way to assess a player is, of course, to look at whether he scores or provides an assist. In my case, those figures are much lower, of course,” he added. De Jong also offered an update on his physical condition after only recently returning to action following an injury sustained at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. “I feel good and strong; I just need to get back into the swing of things,” the Barcelona midfielder said. When asked if he was ready to play the full ninety minutes for his national side, he replied cautiously: “We’ll see. I feel good.”