Barcelona star breaks his silence after criticism and sends a veiled message to Flick

Frenkie de Jong has broken his silence on one of the toughest spells of his Barcelona career.

Sport published the Dutchman's comments from an interview with Ziggo Sport, in which he addressed the criticism and doubts over his recovery.

"It was always like this," De Jong said. "Most of the criticism directed at me, or the fuss made about me, comes when I'm absent, when I can't play football. It has happened again this time too, and I fully understand the reasons for that."

He singled out the frustration of some Barcelona fans at his playing the World Cup with the Netherlands, only to then miss several months of club football.

"I understand the fans very well," he admitted. "They watch me play with the national team, and they don't watch me with the team they support."

"If we want to simplify it, the picture looks like this: I played in the World Cup until the final match, and then I was away from the pitch for three months," he added. "I fully understand that feeling."

The speculation around his injury clearly stung, too, along with the conflicting accounts of the treatment he should have taken.

"I am the first to feel annoyed by this situation, alongside the club and the fans, because I want to play," he explained. "But I couldn't, and it turned out that the injury was more serious than we thought. And then all kinds of accounts start to spread, and many things happen."

Weeks of recovery later, De Jong is looking ahead with optimism.

Speaking on the eve of the Clasico, the midfielder confirmed: "I feel in very good shape, and I feel ready." He also touched on the competition within the squad, particularly since Rodri's arrival.

"The competition is extremely strong, but that makes it more interesting for me," he said. "I think I have a place in the team too, and I feel capable of playing." He won't rule out helping out in other positions, yet he clings to his natural role in midfield.

"If the coach or the team asks me to play in another position, I will always do that," he explained. "But I think everyone knows that I'm a midfielder."

His ambition hasn't shifted. The biggest titles still sit at the top of his future goals.

"Winning the Champions League is something still missing from my career," he concluded. "It's a big goal, a dream, and a wish."