Frenkie de Jong’s World Cup has ended in the cruellest possible manner, but Barcelona may still take a practical pre-season benefit from the Netherlands’ collapse.
According to Barca Blaugranes, Ronald Koeman’s side were beaten by Morocco in the last 32 after a 1-1 draw and a 3-2 penalty shootout defeat. Cody Gakpo had put the Dutch ahead, only for Issa Diop to equalise in stoppage time before Ismael Saibari converted the decisive kick.
Flick Gains A Midfield Reset Window
For De Jong, this is a bitter personal exit after a tournament that had started with him reasserting his authority in Koeman’s midfield. For Hansi Flick, it changes the calendar. Instead of watching one of his most important controllers push deep into July, Barcelona can now plan a managed break and a cleaner return programme.
The key is not rushing him back. Barcelona have already tracked how much De Jong’s rhythm matters to their midfield structure, with his Morocco test underlining the physical and tactical demands placed on him.
Morocco’s win was also a warning about control under pressure. The Guardian noted that the Netherlands allowed Morocco long spells of possession before the shootout turned brutal.
Barcelona will feel the disappointment, but Flick now gets something precious: time to rebuild De Jong’s legs before the serious work starts.
