By Martin Graham | 4th Jun 2024
A leading member of the midfield ranks at La Liga giants Barcelona has this week come in for some altogether heavy criticism. The player in question? Frenkie de Jong.
A hit-and-miss campaign
Dutchman De Jong, for his part, is fresh off something of a hit-and-miss campaign in Catalunya’s capital, which saw his impact curtailed by injury woes once more. Despite showing moments of brilliance, his overall contribution has been marred by frequent spells on the sidelines, leading to questions about his consistency and influence on the pitch.
Gullit’s harsh critique
One individual, though, of the opinion that even when on the pitch, the 26-year-old simply doesn’t do enough to make his presence felt, comes in the form of Ruud Gullit. Speaking during an appearance on Ziggo Sport TV, as cited by Mundo Deportivo, this week, Dutch icon Gullit had some altogether harsh words in store for his fellow countryman.
Urging action ahead of European Championships
Going as far as to label De Jong a ‘ghost’, Gullit, ahead of the upcoming European Championships, urged the Barcelona star to ‘take action on the matter’. Gullit reflected on his own experience, explaining:
“I’m going to say something about Frenkie. I started at Feyenoord playing as a right winger. Then Johan Cruyff told me: ‘Ruud, you have to improve the game of your teammates.’ I never understood him. But do you know why he told me that? Because when you improve the game of your teammates, you always play well! Does Frenkie do that? No, Frenkie plays badly.”
“If you look at Frenkie de Jong during the last World Cup, he was like a ghost! He must take action on the matter.”
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