De Jong misses Euro, Dutch coach calls Barca ‘the troublemaker’

The Netherlands national team coach – Ronald Koeman accuses Barcelona as the reason behind Frenkie de Jong misses Euro 2024.

The Netherlands national team coach, Ronald Koeman, didn’t hide his disappointment when he had to exclude Frenkie de Jong from the Euro 2024 squad due to a persistent injury. According to Koeman, the main reason for De Jong’s prolonged injury situation was Barcelona, who allowed the player to return to the field too soon after suffering the injury.

Following a friendly match against Iceland, Koeman openly criticized Barcelona for taking the risk of fielding De Jong when he hadn’t fully recovered from his ankle injury.

“We made the decision this afternoon. We assessed that Frenkie de Jong will not be able to play in the next three weeks. He has a history of ankle injuries, and it’s not worth taking any risks. Barcelona previously let De Jong play despite the risks, and now we are the ones bearing the consequences,” the 61-year-old coach stated.

Koeman mentioned that after conducting evaluations, the Dutch coaching staff realized that De Jong wouldn’t be at full fitness for the upcoming three weeks due to ongoing issues related to his previous injury.

“We recognize that he is not 100% fit and cannot perform at his full capacity during this time. I could keep him, but it wouldn’t make sense,” Koeman added.

De Jong himself admitted that he returned to play too soon after his second injury of the season, which led to complications. The 27-year-old midfielder suffered his second ankle injury of the season on March 3 during a match against Athletic Bilbao, and had only rested for about a month before returning to play in the Champions League and La Liga.

Playing too early before fully recovering exacerbated De Jong’s injury. In the El Clasico match against Real Madrid on April 21, he couldn’t handle a collision with Valverde and had to leave the field in the first half. This was just one of three occasions De Jong faced ankle injuries this season.

“In some cases, Barcelona may have pushed for his premature return to play,” Koeman remarked.

De Jong’s absence from Euro 2024 is a significant disappointment for both the player and the Dutch national team. It was expected to be his third consecutive major tournament appearance after Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup, but now all hopes are dashed.

Koeman mentioned that he has other options to replace De Jong, but clearly, no other player can bring the technical skill, creativity, and tactical vision that this outstanding player possesses.

De Jong’s absence will undoubtedly pose significant challenges for the Netherlands at Euro 2024. To compensate, Koeman may need to adjust the team’s playing style and make the most of other players if he wants the Netherlands to succeed in the tournament this year. Nevertheless, fans can’t help but lament the loss of such a great talent like De Jong, sidelined due to circumstances beyond his control.