Barça: Jules Kounde is the new Dembele, Flick threatens him
Barça is currently enjoying a successful season, and one player symbolizes the Catalans’ achievements: Jules Koundé. However, his coach still expects even more from the Frenchman.
Things are off to a good start for Barcelona this season. However, Hansi Flick’s team still has a long way to go before claiming any trophies. The German coach demands the utmost discipline from his players, leaving no one exempt—even those performing at a very high level. This includes Jules Koundé. The French right-back has been one of the standout surprises of this new campaign and has gradually become a role model at the club. However, Koundé has yet to win points with Hansi Flick when it comes to his… punctuality.
According to information from Mundo Deportivo, German coach Hansi Flick is reportedly irritated by Jules Kounde‘s recurring tardiness. The French defender has apparently been reprimanded three times in recent months for arriving late. This is one of the reasons why he is occasionally benched, as was the case during the Barcelona derby against Espanyol on November 3. The outlet reports that Kounde arrived late to the pre-match briefing that day, which was the last straw for Flick, who decided to discipline him.
It’s worth noting that during the preseason, the former Bordeaux player had already received a public reprimand from Flick for being late to a training session. Known for his strictness regarding punctuality, Flick could potentially threaten Kounde‘s spot in the starting XI if the behavior doesn’t improve soon. Interestingly, this isn’t the first time a French player at Barcelona has faced criticism for tardiness. Just a few months ago, Ousmane Dembele was also heavily criticized for his repeated lateness at the Catalan club.
