De Jong: I can understand Barcelona’s decision to sell me. Now people pay too much attention to data.

October 18th After completing the contract extension, Barcelona midfielder De Jong said in an interview that he understood Barcelona's previous decision to sell himself.

About contract renewal

- I have always been clear that I wanted to stay at Barcelona. I've always been happy with this team and enjoy playing here. There was a time when there was a lot of pressure and there was a time when people at the club wanted to sell me to make money and I could understand them, the club was going through a difficult financial period and I was a marketable player.

But I was clear at the time: I wanted to stay in Barcelona. And I believe that if everything goes well, I will be able to play. It's always been like this. Ultimately, when you have a contract, if you decide to stay, then stay. That's why I'm unafraid.

About Ter Stegen

- Things can get complicated sometimes. If I'm in good form and the coach doesn't let me play, I'll leave. I love football and want to play.

Should we promote ourselves more in the media?

——No, I want to live a peaceful life, and I don’t want friends in the media who always defend me and say good things about me. If I don't do well, I'll be criticized, and if I do well, I'll be recognized as well.

About the praise of Messi, Yamal and others

-Indeed, many teammates and coaches have said that if any player is underestimated, it is me. What did Messi tell me? One day he came to breakfast and said: "You are great." But I don't want to talk too much because Messi doesn't like private things to be made public.

About your playing style

- I find it difficult to evaluate because I don’t score many goals and I don’t provide many assists. People are too data-oriented these days. I also hold the ball longer, sometimes I hold the ball longer than other players. I don't always take just one or two touches of the ball, of course sometimes I do, but it depends on the situation.

Does the locker room lack personality?

- Many people believe that leaders have to yell, get angry, or blame their teammates. But I think the people who have real character are the ones who stay true to their principles, are honest and help their teammates. You don’t need to shout to be a leader. In fact, if you shout often, others will not listen to you. Real wisdom lies in knowing how to speak at the right time.

About Flick

- He is very personal, has clear ideas, is approachable, but at the same time strict. If you don’t do what he asks, you don’t get on the field. Tactically we follow his philosophy, it is our style, but within the system we also have the freedom to express our individual characteristics. So I think a lot of people find Barcelona games interesting: every player has a chance to show himself on the pitch.