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Barcelona youngster Marc Bernal has this week launched an unwavering defence of a fellow member of the midfield ranks in Hansi Flick’s squad.
The player in question? Frenkie de Jong.
Dutchman De Jong has of course enjoyed a week to remember in Catalunya’s capital to date.
This comes after the long-term speculation surrounding his future was at last put to bed, by way of a long-term Barcelona contract extension.
De Jong, despite his ongoing excellence on the pitch, is a regular target of criticism and harsh reporting in the Spanish media.
The former Ajax man has himself spoken out against as much in the past, [accusing the press of fabricating stories](https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1978452785810035113) in a bid to unsettle him.
And as alluded to above, amid his ongoing battle against such chatter, De Jong has on Thursday received the backing of a Blaugrana teammate.
Speaking during an interview with Diari Ara, as cited by **[Diario Sport](https://www.sport.es/es/noticias/barca/marc-bernal-dice-jong-pura-122669445)**, the aforementioned Marc Bernal revealed his take that:
“Everything that is said about him is pure lies. Criticism? I see him train, I see him play and it’s amazing.”
Conor Laird – GSFN