Barcelona fans turn on Frenkie de Jong after Celta Vigo collapse

Tom Weber

Updated: 24 Nov 2024 15:09 GMT
3 min read

Frenkie de Jong, Barcelona — © IMAGO/FootballTransfers

Barcelona fans and even journalists have turned on Frenkie de Jong following the club's embarrassing collapse against Celta Vigo.

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The Blaugrana appeared to be cruising against the Galicians after taking a 2-0 lead. However, youngster Marc Casado was sent off in the 82nd minute after a silly second yellow and this proved to be a game-changing decision.

Barcelona's usually so reliable offside trap did not work against Celta Vigo and the usually equally reliable Jules Kounde handed the home side their first goal due to what he himself admitted was a 'lack of focus.'

Alfonso Gonzales pounced on Kounde's error in the 84th minute and Hugo Alvarez made it 2-2 just two minutes later, so Barcelona ultimately travelled home to Catalunya with just one point rather than three.

"It wasn’t only the last 10 minutes, it was the whole match. We played a really bad game today, this is what I can say," coach Hansi Flick thundered after the match.

De Jong under fire

Yet, strangely it isn't Kounde or Casado who have drawn the ire of supporters and even some journalists in the wake of Barcelona's collapse. Rather, midfielder Frenkie de Jong has come under heavy fire.

The Dutchman is an easy target due to his damning injury record and the fact that he is LaLiga's best-paid player and supporters were not happy with what they saw from him in his 15-minute cameo against Celta Vigo.

De Jong went viral on the Spanish parts of social media for his lacklustre defending on the second goal as he was seen barely moving while the play developed around him in the Barcelona box.

Some fans on social media questioned whether the 27-year-old was fit to wear the captain's armband, while journalist Gerard Romero - an outspoken Blaugrana supporter - took aim at the midfielder on his Twitch channel.

“De Jong can go back to the national team with his friend Ronald Koeman, but he shouldn’t play a lot here,” he said, referencing the fact that the player was recently called up for the Netherlands despite his fitness problems.

"As soon as Frenkie de Jong comes on, Xavi's Barca comes back," journalist Xavier Valls wrote on X, while Angel Iturriaga noted: "To play the high defensive line with 10 men, you need every player to press like wolves. When De Jong comes on with his contagious passivity, the team falls apart."