Barcelona edged through to the Champions League semi-finals against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night, despite a disappointing 3-1 defeat. It ended a 24-game unbeaten run for the Blaugrana, and despite the fact that they were back in the final four in Europe for the first time in six years, there was little in the way of delight for the Catalan giants.
Manager Hansi Flick admitted that he had to remind his players of their achievement after the match as the dressing room was downtrodden, disappointed with their performance. That included Frenkie de Jong, with the Dutchman explainining that rather than happiness, he was feeling relieved. He described the aggregate victory over Dortmund as ‘bittersweet’, and acknowledged that Barcelona are capable of much more.
Ronald Araújo had a very irregular performance in Dortmund, and again left doubts about his fit into Flick’s system. @didacpeyret
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) April 16, 2025
He was also asked about his contract situation. The 27-year-old is playing his best football for Barcelona, and much of the talk in recent months regarding him has centred on his turnaround at the club. With Hansi Flick backing him, and de Jong back in the starting XI, it appears Barcelona are set to offer him a new deal. That said, Director of Football Deco has made it an unofficial policy to avoid any player going into the final year of their deal. De Jong’s contract expires in 2026, and if the two parties cannot agree to a new one, de Jong will be put up for sale.
“I’ve always said it, I’m very happy living and playing in Barcelona,” de Jong told Marca after the Dortmund win.
“We’re in the final phase of the season, so we’re not focused on that. There will time for all of that.”
This does slightly edge away from reports that de Jong and Barcelona were closing in on a new deal. His agent, Ali Dursun, is seemingly in regular contact with the club, but as one of the highest earners, it will not be an easy negotiation.
