Barcelona have currently in their toughest moment of the season so far, having failed to win four of their last five La Liga matches. In amongst this run, there has been a lot of scrutiny – and much of it has been aimed at Frenkie de Jong.
De Jong has been criticised for multiple under-par performances since returning from a five-month long injury absence, and on Saturday against Real Betis, he conceded a penalty with a foul on Vitor Roque.
However, Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick is continuing to back his player, as he told the media on Tuesday (via MD).
“For me he is a very important player. That’s my opinion and what comes from outside I can’t control. He is a great professional and gives everything in training. For us, he is an important player.”
Flick also commented on the current state of his Barcelona side, amid this worrying run of results.
“We have to have confidence and play as we should play. There are some situations that we must correct and make an effort to see the mistakes. The team has the attitude and it’s something I like a lot.
“We lost those two points (against Betis) that hurt us a lot. But we have to work every day, the potential is there so I am convinced that we can do great things. We are very united as a team and we play as one, united. I think it’s something that you can see and the fans love it. I’m convinced that we can beat Dortmund and play well. These are three important points to face the next round.”
