How €45m star helped Barcelona reshape fortunes this season – Analysis | OneFootball

FC Barcelona sealed their La Liga title triumph with a 2–0 win over local rivals Espanyol, wrapping up a domestic treble in Hansi Flick’s first season at the helm. The German coach has exceeded all expectations, nearly guiding his side to a Champions League final and restoring belief among fans and players alike.

Yet, just a few months ago, this outcome seemed far-fetched. At the halfway point of the season, Barça were sitting third in the table, eight points behind leaders Real Madrid.

22nd December 2024 proved to be a turning point for Hansi Flick’s Barcelona. Facing Atletico Madrid at the Montjuic, the Catalan side played a brilliant game but could not finish their chances, and Diego Simeone’s men stuck a knife into them with a stoppage time winner.

Since then though, Barcelona have only gotten better. They had some time to rest immediately after that game thanks to the festive period and when they returned, they did so in some fashion, beating Athletic Bilbao and Real Madrid to the Spanish Super Cup title.

The Frenkie de Jong factor

Something else changed in the team at around the same time as the Super Cup games. Frenkie de Jong had missed much of the first 2/3rds of the calendar year through injury and when he returned, he struggled to get up to speed with the rest of his teammates.

The 28-year-old looked to be still troubled by that ankle of his, which was not allowing him to give his 100% on the pitch. Marc Casado, on the other hand, had established himself as a vital cog in Flick’s setup, and when Frenkie played only 17 minutes across two games in the Spanish Super Cup, it looked like he had all but lost the German coach’s faith.

Captain fantastic, Frenkie de Jong! (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Soon after that tournament though, Flick gave him a chance in the Copa del Rey game against Real Betis, and the Dutch midfield maestro had a brilliant game. Since that day, he has not looked back and has shown constant improvement since.

Captain Frenkie-astic!

As the season went on and on and into the important months, Frenkie became more and more indispensable to Hansi Flick. The German coach made him one of the first names on the team sheet and Casado’s injury left him with almost no other choice.

Frenkie continued to improve and added defensive aspects to his game that not many had seen before. His quality on the ball has never been in question but with the defensive side of things improving, he started looking more and more like the complete pivot.

With Marc-Andre Ter Stegen injured until very recently and Ronald Araujo seemingly out of favor for the big games, Frenkie was also tasked with wearing the armband and leading the team on the pitch. This is where fans saw a new dimension in him.

The Frenkie-Pedri midfield partnership has worked wonders for FC Barcelona. (Source: DataMB)

Against Real Madrid in the title-deciding El Clasico not so long ago, the captain in Frenkie, stood up. He fought for his teammates, was vocal in remonstrating with the referee and showed the kind of passion that fans have always wanted to see from him.

Even against Espanyol last night, there was an instance where Frenkie made a lung-busting recovery run all the way from his box to the opposition box to stop a counter-attack. The defensive desire to his game has been a breath of fresh air.

What do the numbers say?

Until now, whatever was discussed about Frenkie de Jong was based on an eye test and subject to interpretation. However, numbers never lie and are straight up facts. The numbers for the €45m-rated star tell a story of their own. [Source: DataMB (subscription required)]

Among all midfielders across the top 7 leagues in the world, Frenkie ranks:

Whether it’s controlling possession, progressing play, or unlocking defenses, Frenkie isn’t just good. He’s statistically one of the best in the world.

Silencing his critics

Frenkie has had his detractors almost throughout his Barcelona career. He came in from Ajax with tremendous expectation but there is always a group that claim that he has not lived up to the hype he showed at the Dutch club. However, that is not true.

The 28-year-old came to Barcelona during one of the club’s most troubled times in recent history, that was marred with controversy, financial issues, legends leaving the club and a constant russian roulette of managers.

Frenkie has always been good but he has been burdened by the weight of his own expectations and it has taken Hansi Flick to finally come in, give him a designated role at the base of midfield and bring the very best out of him.

Season-altering impact

There is no doubt that Barcelona’s resurgence since the beginning of January is directly associated with Frenkie’s upturn in form. It has not just been him who has stepped his game up, but he has been a major part of the puzzle.

As Barça look ahead, all eyes will be on whether Frenkie chooses to extend his stay in Catalunya. Fans are behind him now more than ever, seeing not only a world-class midfielder but a leader and symbol of this team’s new identity.

If he stays and builds on this foundation, he may well be remembered not just as the player Barcelona signed with promise, but as the one who fulfilled it completely. The upcoming summer will be crucial in deciding the same.