How Frenkie de Jong Is Leading Barcelona’s New Era

‎Under Hansi Flick, Barcelona has seen significant improvement, which has helped Frenkie de Jong regain his form. In turn, De Jong’s resurgence has enabled the club to aim for new heights this season.

‎The Catalan giants are in contention for a potential quadruple and will host Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday.

‎Since Frenkie de Jong has returned to form, Barcelona has significantly improved, battling their way back to the top of La Liga. The team is also making strong progress in Europe, showcasing their ambitions on multiple fronts.

‎They last won the Champions League in 2015 and after a catalogue of humiliations, find themselves back among the favourites to lift the trophy.

‎Last season, they reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time since 2020, and this year they are favorites to advance to the final four.

‎Frenkie de Jong has developed an impressive partnership with Pedri Gonzalez at the heart of Barcelona’s midfield.

‎While neither player is at their best when burdened with defensive responsibilities, together they do enough to help Barca survive at the back while flourishing offensively.

‎”Playing with a player like Pedri makes life easier,” said De Jong last week.

‎Flick hailed the duo after they helped Barca reach the Copa del Rey final with a win away at Atletico Madrid.

‎”Frenkie and Pedri were unbelievable, really brave with the ball, keeping the possession,” enthused their coach.

‎Frenkie de Jong has faced a long journey back, having been behind Marc Casado in the pecking order until the turn of the year.

‎Hansi Flick began the season with the young Marc Bernal as the starting midfielder, but when Bernal suffered a long-term injury, Flick turned to Casado to fill the role.

‎After undergoing an injury in April 2024, De Jong did not regain full fitness until October, and for some time, Flick utilized him sparingly.

‎”He must deal with this situation, he must regain his confidence,” Flick warned in November.

‎As Barcelona’s form slumped towards the end of last year, he started using De Jong ahead of Casado and it quickly paid dividends.

‎The Catalans are unbeaten in 22 matches in 2025, with De Jong only participating in one of Barca’s six defeats this season.

‎Casado later suffered an injury which is likely to keep him out until the end of the season, but the Dutchman had already won the spot by then.

‎”Casa hasn’t done anything wrong… Frenkie is doing well,” explained Flick.

‎”I spoke with Frenkie the first day here. He had a huge injury, came back step by step, day by day and he’s getting better.

‎”And now I think also you can see how good he is, how good he is for the team.”

‎Finding Himself again

‎Frenkie de Jong was viewed as the natural successor to Sergio Busquets when he joined Barcelona from Ajax in 2019 for 75 million euros ($82 million), fulfilling a long-held dream.

‎However, despite a bright start to his career at the club, it quickly became clear that his dynamic playing style was hindered when he was placed in a deep-lying role.

‎This limitation highlighted the need for him to operate in a more advanced position to fully utilize his talents.

‎Years of inconsistent form, injury niggles, and being forced towards the exit by the club, who were keen to recoup his transfer fee and unburden themselves of his wages, left De Jong in a difficult position.

‎He had never quite fitted into the team in a position that seemed suited to him, and even now, his presence does leave Barcelona more exposed at the back.

‎However, Flick’s team plays with the handbrake off, and they are gloriously entertaining, scoring four or more goals on 20 occasions this season.

‎De Jong helps the team progress with the ball, adding touches of quality and daring to Barcelona’s build-up play.

‎”De Jong, who was sprinting nearly 90 meters or something like that (to join the attack) this is the mentality, the attitude of the team, and it’s good,” said Flick after Barca thumped Girona 4-1 in March.

‎Off the pitch, the situation for Frenkie de Jong is also improving, with reports suggesting that he may sign a new contract in the coming months.

‎After a challenging five years in the Catalan capital, his narrative is finally shifting for the better.