
Barcelona ended Brest’s unbeaten run in the Champions League with an emphatic 3-0 win on Tuesday evening at the Olympic Stadium of Louis Companys. The match, part of the group stage’s fifth round, saw Barcelona climb to 12 points, temporarily securing second place.
Brest, on the other hand, slipped to ninth with 10 points after suffering their first defeat in the competition.
However, the game was marked by an emotional moment involving Barcelona’s Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong. According to the Spanish newspaper El Nacional, de Jong faced a challenging evening. His physical and mental fitness were questioned after receiving boos from sections of the crowd when he entered the field.
These reactions reportedly left him distressed, and he broke down in tears in the locker room post-match.
The report highlighted that de Jong’s reaction reflected his frustration and sadness over the lack of support from the fans.
In a show of solidarity, Barcelona’s head coach Hansi Flick urged the team to console their teammate and rally around him during this difficult period. Flick expressed his belief in de Jong’s potential to bounce back and regain his form.
Speaking during the post-match press conference, Flick addressed concerns about de Jong’s condition, emphasizing the player’s commitment to returning to peak performance. “Frenkie is working very hard to get back to his best,” Flick stated. “Right now, he is not at 100 percent, but we are giving him opportunities in training and matches. It’s our job as coaches to support him, and I am confident he will succeed.”
The incident shed light on the pressures professional footballers face, particularly in challenging periods. For de Jong, the support of his coach and teammates will be crucial as he navigates this phase and works to win back the fans’ trust.
Barcelona’s victory over Brest demonstrated their strength as a team, but the emotional challenges faced by one of their key players also underscored the personal struggles that often accompany professional success.
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