Frenkie de Jong booed by part of the FC Barcelona support

Part of the FC Barcelona support booed Frenkie de Jong on Wednesday. It happened when the midfielder walked onto the pitch for the friendly against Al-Ahly for the Joan Gamper Trophy.

The booing rang out as the stadium announcer read out De Jong's name. The Dutchman kept walking towards his Barcelona team-mates without reacting.

Reporting by Gerard Romero may explain the reaction. The Spanish journalist revealed that De Jong refused to play against Atlético Madrid in the Champions League last season and that his relationship with coach Hansi Flick was said to be strained.

De Jong insists there is nothing true in those stories. ''Gerard Romero reported, and he set all of this in motion himself, that I refused to play against Atlético in the Champions League last year. That is not true. It is simply not correct,'' he stressed to Barcelona's club channel.

The Netherlands international also laughed off rumours that his relationship with Flick has deteriorated. ''Romero said that my relationship with the coach is very bad. But none of that is true. My relationship with him is actually very good.''

Now De Jong is trying to get fully fit after the knee injury he suffered at the World Cup. It is not yet known when the midfielder will be available again for the Spanish champions.