“This El Clasico is special because we can win La Liga”: De Jong exclusive

Frenkie de Jong sat in the interview room, his pearly whites sparkling in a Barcelona training jersey with bright yellow trim. It was the confident look of a player who knew history was just one game away.Hansi Flick’s Barcelona can beat their eternal rivals Real Madrid in a Clasico to claim the league title this Sunday night, which means more than just bragging rights. Such an occasion has never occurred in La Liga’s 97-year history.

This grand scene will be staged at the renovated Camp Nou stadium. This will be the first El Clasico in more than 1,000 days. In the match between the two clubs at the Bernabeu in October, Real Madrid’s victory opened up a five-point gap at the top of the standings. Currently, Barcelona leads by 11 points with 4 rounds left in the league and only needs a draw to lock in the championship.“The approach is the same because we are always ready to win,” De Jong said. “But of course, it feels different. It’s El Clasico and it’s even more special now because we can win La Liga.”The momentum has shifted dramatically since the first few months of the season. Real Madrid enter the weekend in turmoil amid coaching uncertainty, internal strife and apathy, while Barcelona bounce back in faith.“There are times during a season when the team grows,” De Jong said. “I think we are more reliable now than we were at the beginning. We have always had quality but form, injuries and availability matter. Madrid have a great team but maybe they are not at their best moment yet. We focus on ourselves.”In a game of this magnitude, the midfield can be the difference between victory and defeat, and Barcelona’s lack of a defensive anchor in the form of Sergio Busquets is a recurring discussion point. Especially after being eliminated in the semi-finals and quarter-finals Champions League Despite showing promise, back-to-back seasons.De Jong has dismissed the notion that Barcelona lacks balance in the centre. “We have a good midfield,” he said. “Injuries always affect a team, but one of our strengths is our depth and versatility in that area.”However, he acknowledged that there is still lingering frustration in Europe. “The Champions League is disappointing because we thought we could go further,” he said. “But overall we had a good season. We scored a lot of goals, we got a lot of points in La Liga and the most important thing to win the league is stability.” Maybe this season isn’t great because of Europe, but it’s not bad either. “At just 28, De Jong has quietly become Barcelona’s longest-serving first-team player (318 games) and the most capped Dutchman in the club’s history, continuing a lineage closely linked to Holland and influential figures such as Johan Cruyff.His own career has been interrupted at times by injuries. Now he finds himself guiding a younger generation, particularly Lamine Yamal, whose meteoric rise has earned him praise and scrutiny off the field. Injured Yamal will miss Sunday’s game and despite his fine form, his season has been hampered by concerns over his ongoing “pubic pain” condition.“I think he should continue as he is,” De Jong said. “He should enjoy football as he always has. If he keeps doing that I’m sure he will have a great career and that will be good for us too.”On the other side of Mbappe is Kylian Mbappe, who has drawn criticism from Real Madrid fans in his second season in Madrid despite scoring 41 goals in 41 games and having a high turnover rate.De Jong’s evaluation is measured. “Mbappe is one of the best players in the world,” he said. “Real Madrid becomes stronger when he plays. But football can be very reactionary. One result or action changes everything in people’s minds.”For the silent coordinators, however, the larger truth of the game remains unchanged. “It’s really nothing personal,” he said. “Both teams have great players. What determines the game now is teamwork and hard work.”And can Barcelona complete the task against Real Madrid?“It’s not over yet,” De Jong said, smiling again. “But I hope Sunday will be my favorite moment of the season.”(Watch El Clasico LIVE on May 11 at 00:30 and watch it exclusively on FanCode)