De Jong loses the armband. Flick reportedly wanted to send a clear warning
Frenkie de Jong has around four months of rehabilitation ahead of him and plenty of time to watch his position at Barcelona change. The Dutch midfielder is injured, has been omitted from the provisional captaincy group, was whistled during the squad presentation and has seen the club sign Rodri to operate in the area of the pitch that was supposed to belong to him for years.
Officially, De Jong’s relationship with Hansi Flick remains excellent. Given everything else happening around the player, that claim is starting to sound less like a description and more like a compulsory disclaimer attached to every new development.
Cadena SER have now offered fresh details behind the coach’s decision. Journalist Santi Ovalle believes De Jong’s omission from the captaincy group should be interpreted as a warning. Not because the player decided against surgery, as he had every right to choose conservative treatment, but because of the way he reportedly handled the injury.
De Jong suffered damage to the medial collateral ligament in his right knee during the World Cup. According to Cadena SER, he played three matches despite feeling discomfort. He then went on holiday after the tournament and did not undergo a complete examination in Barcelona until he returned. The tests showed that the injury was more serious than initially believed and would keep him out for around four months.
The midfielder has explained that the Dutch national team’s medical staff had consistently described the problem as considerably less serious. He did not present his actions as a conscious decision to risk his health. Barcelona, however, are reported to have been unhappy with how late the full extent of the injury became clear.
The first visible signal was De Jong travelling with the team during preseason despite being unable to train. Another followed when Flick selected Raphinha, Eric García and Pedri as provisional captains. De Jong, who appeared to be a natural candidate following the departures of Marc-André ter Stegen and Ronald Araújo, was not included.
It must be stressed that the decision is not final. Flick explained that the captains had only been appointed temporarily because the squad could still change. The players are expected to vote after the transfer window closes. De Jong has therefore not been formally stripped of the role for the entire season, but the armband belongs to somebody else for now.
“Frenkie is not available at the moment, so I have decided on provisional captains until we hold the vote,” Flick explained. The coach also insisted that he values De Jong highly, speaks to him regularly and continues to regard him as an important member of the squad.
Then came the Joan Gamper Trophy. When De Jong’s name was announced during the team presentation, sections of the crowd responded with whistles. The midfielder briefly applauded the supporters before joining his teammates. A few moments later, Rodri received the loudest ovation of the evening.
It was difficult to imagine a more graphic illustration of the current situation. De Jong stood injured and without the armband while listening to the crowd’s dissatisfaction. Rodri walked onto the pitch as a Barcelona player for the first time and was welcomed like the man expected to take control of the midfield.
The Spanish international’s arrival does not automatically mean De Jong has been discarded. Rodri can play alongside him, and Flick regularly uses systems containing several central midfielders. It does mean that when De Jong recovers, he will have to reclaim his place in a team that will have spent several months learning to function without him.
His contract runs until 2030, so Barcelona are under no immediate pressure to sell. The current questions concern trust, his standing inside the dressing room and the coach’s response to decisions made away from the pitch.
The distinction remains important. Flick has not publicly said that he removed De Jong from the captaincy group as a punishment. That interpretation comes from Cadena SER and information concerning the coach’s reported dissatisfaction with the management of the injury. The official explanation is that the captaincy arrangement is temporary and that Flick’s relationship with the player remains excellent.
Barcelona can therefore insist that everything is fine while leaving De Jong out of the captaincy group and signing one of the world’s best midfielders for his position. The Dutchman must now focus calmly on his recovery. The club have made sure he will not be short of things to think about while doing it.
Sources: Cadena SER – the reported warning from Flick · Cadena SER – Barcelona’s provisional captains · Cadena SER – whistles during the presentation
