De Jong’s Outburst Stuns Barça: Finishing Woes and a Referee Under Fire

Barça's Frustration and De Jong's Outcry

Frenkie de Jong did not hide his anger after Barcelona's 2-1 defeat at Real Sociedad's Anoeta, where the Dutch midfielder launched a fierce critique of referee Jesus Gil Manzano and explained why he picked up a yellow card late in the game.

Speaking to DAZN after the match, De Jong said Barcelona had been the better side, stressing that the sole issue was finishing chances. "I think we deserved to win," he declared, "we created many chances, but in the end you have to put them away. We played well; the only thing missing was the victory."

Asked about the defeat, he summed it up in one word: "finishing." He added that their opponents' goalkeeper produced a “very, very good” performance.

The moment of maximum tension came in stoppage time when De Jong exploded at how time was managed, insisting Sociedad players wasted minutes without proper compensation.

He told the referee: "Watch the time. They waste a full minute for throw-ins and goal kicks, and that is not normal in football."

De Jong then stated that his protest about the match was the reason for the yellow card, declaring that what happened was crazy, and the referee flashed the card in his direction.

He also referenced a controversial offside moment, saying: "If it was offside, it was offside. I did not see it; they told us it wasn't, and I spoke to the fourth official who seemed to think otherwise."

In closing, De Jong expressed clear disappointment: "We created chances and still lost, which is the most disappointing part."

Punchlines: 1) If football were a clock, the ref would be fired for ticking too slowly. 2) Barça’s finishing was so precise that even the post sent a complaint letter.