Van der Vaart Continues Criticism of De Jong
Rafael Van der Vaart, former Real Madrid player and now a commentator for Dutch television, criticized Frenkie de Jong once again before the start of the match between PSG and Barcelona, in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals. The former Dutch national team midfielder admitted that he has always had great admiration for the Barcelona midfielder, “but it’s time for him to do more.” He suggests that De Jong has the talent to be more decisive, something he hasn’t been this season. “He should score more goals and provide more assists.”
In the Champions League, before the match against PSG, De Jong had played three games in the competition without scoring or providing an assist. In La Liga, he has played 19 games and scored two goals, without providing an assist. In the Copa del Rey, he has played three games without recording any assists or goals, similar to the Spanish Super Cup where he played two games. “I’ve seen him spinning around his own circle a lot lately. I hardly see a key pass, or a forward pass. I think he dribbles too much,” says the former Real Madrid player.
New Criticism This is not the first time Van der Vaart has criticized De Jong. During the match against Napoli, he also criticized him: “Frenkie de Jong plays football like a mailman. He takes too long to pass the ball forward, instead, he keeps running and taking it to his teammate. Once you get away from your opponent, you should keep the ball moving and pass it!” Van der Vaart said during his appearance on the Dutch channel ‘Ziggo Sport’.
