Frenkie de Jong is a strong supporter of the increasing use of data analysis in the football world. The Barcelona midfielder was featured at the Sports Tomorrow Congress (WOM + N) on Thursday, where he said in a previously recorded interview “it will make him a better player.” Already in his time at Ajax, De Jong was criticized for his lack of goals and assists, and defends himself on the basis of other data.
De Jong became acquainted with the usefulness of data shortly after his debut for the team from Amsterdam against Sparta Rotterdam. He was then accused of a lack of speed, which the midfielder wanted to know about. “I wanted to know if I was fast enough,” said the the Dutch international at the conference. “The numbers gave me confidence. People said I wasn’t fast enough, but the data proved otherwise and that gave me certainty.”
The technician then began to use the tool more and more, to look back on his matches and to compare himself with teammates and opponents. In the past, the data around matches was mainly limited to goals, assists and goals against, but now all kinds of useful physical and tactical data are also registered, says De Jong.
“I am not a player who stands out with goals and assists, and sometimes my teammates at Ajax joked about this. But one day they presented some data regarding tactical aspects. To my surprise I saw that many of the attacks that started with me ended in a goal. With such data, I was able to quickly bounce back the jokes, haha.”
The creative thinks that the usefulness of data is still too much underestimated by players in the football world. “There are players who don’t pay much attention to it, but I think data is an element that helps you get better. After the matches and training sessions I ask what my statistics are to see if they match my feeling. It’s good to have the information because it gives you a real picture of what you’ve been working on.”
Finally, De Jong even revealed the role of data in his transfer to Barcelona. The midfielder asked Ajax’s analysis department for data from LaLiga at the time, so that he could compare himself with the players in the competition and conclude whether he would fit. “The feeling of the player is important, but the data can help you decide,” De Jong concluded.