There was a quiet sense of recalibration about the Spanish Super Cup campaign of FC Barcelona. It was not a revolution nor a statement built on chaos or overwhelming tempo, but something subtler. A team learning when to accelerate and, more importantly, when to pause. At the centre of that shift stood Frenkie de Jong, a player who arrived in Saudi Arabia with questions hanging over him and left having provided clear answers.
The Dutchman closed out 2025 in an uncomfortable middle ground, after Hansi Flick had openly challenged him to offer more, and structurally, Barcelona looked capable of functioning without him as the unquestioned axis. Eric Garcia’s emergence in midfield, the growing authority of Gerard Martin in defence, and a more conservative base hinted at a team moving in a different direction. For De Jong, it felt like familiar territory, that of scrutiny returning the moment his influence dipped.
The Super Cup changed that narrative. In the final, De Jong didn’t just play well, but he also controlled the match. Alongside Pedri, he dictated Barcelona’s tempo in a game designed to deny them comfort. Xabi Alonso set up Real Madrid to defend deep, concede territory, and disrupt Barcelona’s rhythm through tight marking. De Jong was targeted, followed, and pressed. He responded by doing what defines his best football: resisting panic.
The numbers tell part of the story: 177 passes shared between Pedri and De Jong, just seven losses of possession from the 28-year-old Dutchman, six recoveries in defensive transitions. But more revealing was his authority. He constantly offered an outlet under pressure, repositioned teammates, and ensured Barcelona never lost their structure even when Madrid briefly surged after the first half.
JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA - JANUARY 11: Frenkie de Jong of FC Barcelona reacts after being shown a red card during the Spanish Super Cup Final between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid at King Abdullah Sports City Hall Stadium on January 11, 2026 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images
The dismissal for a reckless challenge on Kylian Mbappé was the only blemish on an otherwise commanding display. Madrid sensed opportunity, forcing two late saves, yet Barcelona held firm. By then, the tone had already been set.
Tactically, the match underlined something Flick appears to believe strongly. Barcelona are more controllable, more precise, with De Jong at the heart of midfield. Fermin Lopez’s energy helped in the pressing phases, but it was the later introduction of Dani Olmo that reinforced the idea. In tight spaces, Olmo adds incision; with De Jong and Pedri behind him, that incision becomes sustainable rather than frantic.
This is where, as highlighted by SPORT, “Barcelona 2.0” under Hansi Flick starts to make sense. The early Flick version was exhilarating but volatile — heavy metal football that overwhelmed opponents and occasionally itself. What’s emerging now is a side capable of shifting gears. Still aggressive, still vertical when needed, but far more comfortable suffocating games through possession and positioning.
There are issues to solve, particularly defensively, and the red card served as a reminder that control must extend to discipline. But the broader picture is clear. Frenkie de Jong is no longer on the periphery of Flick’s project but more of a metronome. In the biggest games, when chaos threatens to take over, Barcelona once again look to their Dutch conductor. And when De Jong is in command, this Barca side begins to dominate.