Frenkie de Jong made his 293rd appearance for FC Barcelona on Wednesday, coming on as a substitute against Celta de Vigo to surpass Philip Cocu’s record for most appearances by a Dutch player at the club.
The milestone was reached in the 73rd minute when Hansi Flick introduced the midfielder, who now holds the record with 293 duels, one more than Cocu’s 292. De Jong joined Barcelona in the summer of 2019, 46 years after Johan Cruyff became the first Dutch player to wear the shirt.
De Jong surpasses Cocu with Cocu and Koeman watching
Cocu was present at Camp Nou to witness the moment, seated alongside former Barcelona player and Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman. Earlier in the week, Cocu had praised De Jong’s professionalism and playing style, saying he deserved the record and would likely exceed it after extending his contract by two years.
De Jong now leads all Dutch Barça players in appearances
With this appearance, De Jong moves ahead of other Dutch legends at Barcelona, including Ronald Koeman (264 matches), Patrick Kluivert (257), Michael Reiziger (255), Frank de Boer (214), Johan Neeskens (183) and Johan Cruyff (180). More than twenty Dutch players have represented the club in its history.
How many goals and assists has De Jong recorded for Barcelona?
De Jong has scored twenty goals and provided thirty-one assists for Barcelona since joining in 2019.
When did Cruyff first play for Barcelona?
Johan Cruyff became the first Dutch player to join FC Barcelona in 1973, forty-six years before De Jong’s arrival in 2019.