Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has offered a rare and detailed account of how media narratives are constructed and weaponised in professional football, sharing his perspective in an interview with The Guardian.
The Dutch international, who has had a turbulent spell at Camp Nou since joining from Ajax in 2019, pointed specifically to the summer of 2022 as a period in which he experienced first-hand how sustained media pressure can distort public perception. During that transfer window, strategic leaks to the Catalan press claimed that his contract — which included deferred salary payments agreed during the COVID-19 pandemic — would cost Barcelona as much as €37.5 million for a single season, a figure De Jong has consistently disputed.
“The press can really influence how people see you; that’s something I especially noticed during that period,” the 28-year-old said. “Back then, it was all about my contract, with all sorts of figures about what I was supposedly earning, while that was not true. But then you notice they see you differently from that point; they judge you differently… It starts to get into people’s heads.”
De Jong argued that the repetition of inaccurate information through media channels creates a distorted reality that supporters absorb without scrutiny, particularly when match commentary reinforces negative impressions. “When a player loses possession, but the commentator says nothing, people don’t really notice,” he explained. “But if he says, ‘Hmm, that’s already the fourth time he’s lost the ball; he’s not playing well today,’ that sticks with people. Many don’t really watch a game closely; they don’t notice what’s happening. And so it’s very important how people report stories or comment on a match. I think it has more influence than people realise.”
Beyond match commentary, De Jong also drew attention to the structural relationships that exist between journalists and player representatives, revealing that a number of footballers now employ dedicated public relations agencies to manage their media image. “In football there are interests: some journalists have contacts with players, or through others. There are also several players who have PR agencies working for them. And you just notice there’s a difference in how people are judged. Sometimes in football people don’t watch objectively, without even realising it.”
The midfielder’s comments carry particular weight given the circumstances he endured in 2022. At the time, Barcelona were in severe financial difficulty and were actively attempting to offload De Jong to reduce their wage bill, with Manchester United among the clubs linked with his signature. Reports at the time indicated that the club’s leadership used selective media briefings to build public pressure on the player to either accept a salary reduction or agree to a transfer — a strategy De Jong has now characterised as institutional and calculated.
De Jong ultimately remained at Barcelona and has continued to feature for the club under manager Hansi Flick during the 2025-26 season, though his time in Catalonia has been persistently disrupted by injury. He has made over 200 appearances for the club since his €86 million move from Ajax, and remains a key figure in the Netherlands national team setup.
His remarks arrive at a moment when the relationship between footballers, media, and public relations is drawing growing scrutiny across European football. Several high-profile players in recent years have taken legal action against media outlets over inaccurate reporting, while the rise of athlete-controlled social media platforms has shifted some of the narrative power back toward players themselves.
De Jong’s willingness to address the mechanics of media influence directly — rather than through carefully managed public statements — marks a notable departure from the typical approach taken by players at elite clubs.
