Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong maintains his critical stance regarding LaLiga’s decision to play the match between Barcelona and Villarreal in Miami, although he accepts the reality that the players must abide by the decisions.
De Jong and his stance on the match in Miami
The player expressed his discontent last week with LaLiga’s proposal, arguing that moving the match to the United States involves more travel and distorts the competition by being played on neutral territory.
Yes, I still think the same and that hasn’t changed. But we are players and in the end we have to play where they tell us.
Frenkie de Jong
The president of Barcelona, Joan Laporta, expressed his respect for De Jong’s opinion, but highlighted the growth opportunity that it represents for the club in the North American market.Frenkie de Jong ha expresado su opinión sobre jugar partidos de LaLiga en el extranjero. (Fran Santiago/Getty Images)LaLiga has been trying to move a match of the competition to the United States since 2017. After the approval of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and UEFA, it was announced that the match between Villarreal and Barcelona would be played at Hard Rock Stadium on December 20.
De Jong, for his part, has extended his bond with Barcelona for three more years, after signing a contract extension this week.
Sources close to the matter revealed that the terms of the new contract are slightly reduced, compared to the previous agreement, which was structured to help Barcelona overcome a complicated financial period.
The Dutch midfielder, who arrived at the club in 2019, expressed his desire to stay in Barcelona and denied the exaggerations about his salary.Frenkie de Jong ha firmado un contrato que lo mantendrá en el Barcelona hasta 2029. (Javier Borrego/Europa Press via Getty Images)De Jong, who cost 75 million euros, is in his seventh season with Barca, where he has played more than 250 matches under the direction of five different coaches. He has won six titles, including two LaLiga titles, and aspires to conquer the Champions League.
The player also stated: “As a child I dreamed of playing for Barcelona and now I am fulfilling that dream. I want to stay here as long as possible and win many titles. I feel good at the club, in the city and with my teammates and the board of directors.”
