‘People don’t understand’… Barcelona star defends his efforts and talks about the demands of his position | OneFootball

It is always important for players at FC Barcelona to earn their place and make their own spot. After all, every single player in the team is competing for a starting role and they all come with a certain confidence and lots of aspirations to back them up. However, there are only a few starting positions at Barcelona that can be filled up.

Yet, at times, players can end up carving new places for themselves by adjusting to different roles and offering something unique to the manager. That is exactly what French defender Jules Kounde ended up doing, as he went from just being a centre-back to becoming one of the world’s best full-backs right now.

Since arriving from Sevilla, Kounde has faced a lot more competition for the centre-back spots than he has for the right-back position. Eventually, he ended up becoming more of a permanent fullback based on his performances and the fact that the team needed him to fill that void.

However, even the player himself acknowledges that there are different demands in each role, and also stated recently that ‘people don’t understand’ the kind of expectations these players have from themselves and the effort that goes behind it all, as highlighted by MARCA:

“Sometimes, people don’t understand that we have our own criteria and goals in a match. I am the one who knows best what I am capable of on the field. In my case, when I play as a full-back, I am judged for things that aren’t my strengths. I understand that I’ve changed position, and that requires different things. I’m working on it.”

However, one thing does remain consistent for Kounde no matter where he plays, and that is the awareness and concentration that any good defender needs in order to stay alert around their opponents:

“It’s not good to approach matches thinking you’re too good or that they will be easy, especially as a defender. You lose your mark, and in ten seconds, you cost your team a goal.”

For now, he continues to focus on the French National team during this international break, and even there he has established himself as a regular starter at the right-back position. Once he returns for club football, he will resume his duties at Barcelona in the same role and with the same aspirations. However, with other defenders still recovering, Kounde also remains a viable option for Hansi Flick to deploy as a centre-back if the team needs him to play in that position again.