Barcelona’s midfield maestro Frenkie de Jong recently admitted he sometimes doubted if he would ever fully recover from an ankle injury that sidelined him for much of 2024.
The Dutch international sustained the injury during an El Clasico clash in April—a match Barcelona lost, effectively handing the La Liga title advantage to arch-rival Real Madrid.
This injury ruled De Jong out for an extended period, and he was forced to watch from the sidelines as the Netherlands advanced to the semifinals of Euro 2024, only to be narrowly defeated by England with a late goal. Missing out on his country’s impressive run was especially painful for De Jong.
It wasn’t until October 1 that he finally returned to competitive play, coming off the bench in Barcelona’s dominant 5-0 Champions League victory over Young Boys.
“There were moments when I wondered if I’d ever make a full recovery,” De Jong shared with reporters on Wednesday. “However, I always believed that I would eventually get back on the pitch.”
He added that the recovery process brought lingering uncertainty. “There was doubt about how long it would take and whether my ankle would feel completely the same.”
Watching his national team surge to the Euro 2024 semifinals while unable to participate was “difficult,” he admitted. “I watched every game the Dutch team played, but I didn’t follow the rest of the tournament too closely. I didn’t want to be constantly reminded of it.”
According to SPORT, De Jong was visibly emotional in the locker room over the weekend after having to be substituted at halftime for Dani Olmo in Barca’s 1-0 loss to Real Sociedad.
