Frenkie de Jong gave a press conference for Barcelona in which he spoke about the situation of the team and made it clear that they are not playing as badly as they say. He was asked about who has helped him more and whether Messi should win the Ballon d'Or.
About the team's current form, De Jong said that they "know we can get better and we are working towards that. We have a great team". The midfielder is aware that there are some things that could improve, and has taken the constructive criticism, but does not think the situation is as dire as some would put it.
When asked about which player has helped him the most, he praised the entire squad for their support, but there was a standout: "All the players are fantastic. If I have to choose, Sergio Busquets has helped me a lot". The player is learning from the experienced La Masia player, who's helped him adapt to Barcelona.
He also explained why Lionel Messi is his pick for the Ballon D'Or: "to me, he has to win it because he is by far the best". This year, the Argentine has a lot of competition, since the other candidates have also excelled individually and with their teams.
"I'm happy to be playing so many games; that's good for me; I hope it stays that way and I can keep playing a lot of minutes. Now I feel very good and I don't need any rest," he commented on the fact that he has barely had any rest
"I don't care where I play. As long as it's in the middle of the field, I'm happy. You'd have to ask the coach about that; it doesn't concern me," he told the reporter, who interjected with a friendly smile, making it clear that this is Valverde's business.