Madrid (AFP)

"I missed football," said Dutch FC Barcelona midfielder Frenkie De Jong on Thursday at the Barça site, as the Catalan squad returned to training two weeks ago.

"I missed training and football. (...) We haven't seen each other for two or three months. In general, we only leave for two or three weeks maximum, and we are already happy to see each other when we return So imagine now ... It was really cool, "said De Jong, who returned to training after a two-month hiatus from the epidemic of new coronavirus that has crippled football in Europe.

"At the beginning, training alone was not so bad because everyone was able to resume at their own pace and progress in function. (...) I trained in the Netherlands to be able to get here right. I'm glad I can get back in touch with the lawn, "said De Jong, as the Liga teams have been allowed to switch from individual training to small group sessions since Monday.

"Obviously I don't see myself playing an entire match yet but we still have a few weeks of training left. I hope we can all train together soon. In a few weeks we will be ready to play", assured the midfielder.

De Jong also followed the resumption of football in Germany last weekend, as the Bundesliga is the first major European championship to resume matches: "I saw Borussia Dortmund - Schalke. I was happy to see again live football, even if the situation is quite bizarre, without supporters. We will have to play without them and we hope they can return to the stadium soon, "said De Jong.

© 2020 AFP