Barcelona captain De Jong slammed critics: 'Many people don't understand anything about football'

 Barcelona captain Frenkie de Jong played an hour in the Netherlands-Sweden (5-1) match last night despite struggling with an injury. De Jong was the team's leader in midfield. In 59 minutes spent on the pitch, the Barcelona captain completed 96% of 53 passes, and also had seven interceptions and six defensive interventions. De Jong openly addressed the topic of his playing for the national team and the criticism that comes with it. At the beginning, he emphasized that many online critics who attack him do not understand football at all. "I feel like a lot of people don't understand anything about football. They look at it but they don't really understand it," De Jong said. "It's not a bad thing because it allows everyone to express their opinion, but it's true," he added. In response to criticism that he does not make many long and vertical passes, De Jong explained his approach and thinking behind every play in the match. "I hear people saying I don't pass long balls, but that's not true. They're just not paying attention to the game. It depends on the match, but also on the moment itself." "You can play the ball into the field, but then it always goes to the goalkeeper. Yes, I think some people have difficulty understanding it. Maybe I should sit down with them someday and explain it to them. It also depends on the moment itself. Whether someone is running or not, how they are running," he added. The footballer also attacked the fans who constantly criticize the players and look for scapegoats who played poorly in the match. "I think in general in the Netherlands we could appreciate players a little more. Of course, you can criticize if you think someone played poorly." "It's fine and we have no problem with it. But it's often an exaggeration and people immediately say he's a bad player," he concluded. Elaborating on the quality of players in the Dutch national team, De Jong said that anyone can perform poorly, but it is the overall quality that counts. "We have a lot of players who play at the highest level and have been playing at the highest level for years. Or at a high level. They are all good players." "Anyone can play poorly. And it's okay to be criticized for playing poorly. Everyone wants to be talked about and I feel like in the end it's about getting noticed," he concluded.