Frenkie de Jong flashed his pearly whites as he sat in the interview room in Barcelona’s training blue with bright yellow trims. It was the assurance of a player who was aware that history was one match away.This Sunday night, Hansi Flick’s Barcelona could clinch the league crown against their arch-rivals, Real Madrid, in a Clasico that means more than bragging rights. In the 97-year history of La Liga, such an opportunity has never come.
The grand episode is set to unfold at the revamped Camp Nou, which will stage its first Clasico in more than 1,000 days. Madrid’s win at the Bernabeu meeting between the clubs in October opened up a five-point gap at the top of the table. Barcelona now lead by 11, needing only a draw to secure the championship with just 4 matches to play.“The approach is the same because we always prepare to win,” DeJong said. “But of course the feeling is different. It’s El Clasico, and now it’s even more special because we can win La Liga.”The momentum has changed dramatically since the early months of the season. Madrid enter the weekend amid turmoil with coaching uncertainty, infighting, and indifferent form, while Barcelona are bouncing on confidence.“There are moments in a season where a team grows,” DeJong said. “I think we are more reliable now than at the beginning. We have always had quality, but form, injuries and availability are important. Madrid have a great team, but maybe they are not at their best at the moment. We focus on ourselves.”In matches of this magnitude, the midfield can decide the outcome, and Barcelona’s lack of defensive strength in the form of Sergio Busquets is a frequent topic of discussion. Especially with the exits in the semi-finals and quarters Champions League In successive seasons, despite showing promise.De Jong rejected the idea that Barcelona lacked balance at centre-back. “We have an excellent midfield,” he said. “Injuries always affect the team, but one of our strengths is depth and versatility in that area.”However, he acknowledged lingering disappointment in Europe. “The Champions League was disappointing because we thought we could go further,” he said. “But overall, we’ve had a good season. We’ve scored a lot of goals, we’ve got a lot of points in Liga, and winning the league requires consistency more than anything else. Because of Europe, maybe the weather hasn’t been great, but it’s been good.”At just 28, De Jong has quietly become Barcelona’s longest-serving first-team player (318 matches) and the most capped Dutchman in the club’s history, fostering close links with influential figures such as the Netherlands and Johan Cruyff.His own career has been interrupted at times by injuries. Now he finds himself mentoring a younger generation, particularly Lamin Yamal, whose rapid ascent has drawn both praise and scrutiny off the field. A hamstring injury will miss Sunday’s game, and this season has been hurt by concerns over his ongoing ‘publegia’ condition despite his impressive performances.“I think it should continue exactly as it is,” DeJong said. “He should enjoy football the way he always does. If he continues to do that, I’m sure he will have a great career, and it will be beneficial for us as well.”Across the divide stands Kylian Mbappe, whose second season at Madrid has sparked waves of criticism from Los Blancos fans despite scoring 41 goals in 41 games.De Jong was measured in his assessment. He said that Mbappe is one of the best players in the world. “When he plays, Madrid is strong. But football can be very reactionary. One result or action changes everything in people’s minds.”For the silent orchestrator, though, the great truth of the game is unchanged. “It’s not really about the individuals,” he said. “Both teams have great players. Now the matches are decided by teamwork and hard work.”And if Barcelona completes the task against Real?“It’s not over yet,” DeJong said, smiling again. “But I hope Sunday will be my favorite moment of the season.”(Watch El Clasico live and exclusively on Fancode from 00.30 on May 11)
