A brewing conflict? The reason behind de Jong’s absence against Sevilla revealed

Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has almost completed his recovery from injury and has been gradually reintegrated into the squad. However, in the recent match against Sevilla, the Dutchman remained on the bench—and the reason is not related to his fitness.

Details: According to Catalan radio station RAC1, Barcelona head coach Hans-Dieter Flick was reportedly displeased with de Jong’s behavior. While it’s unclear what exactly angered the German manager, the situation is reminiscent of an earlier incident involving Jules Koundé, who lost his starting spot to Héctor Font after being late to a team meeting at the beginning of the season.

Reminder: De Jong’s recovery progress had previously concerned Netherlands national team coach Ronald Koeman, who stated that the midfielder was not yet ready to return to the pitch and needed more time for a full recovery.