Jules Kounde Has Dig At Xavi Over FC Barcelona Position

FC Barcelona defender Jules Kounde has taken a dig at head coach Xavi Hernandez over the position he plays for their high-flying team.

Kounde has proven to be one of the transfers of the season after Barca paid a reported fee of just over $50mn for his services to Sevilla in the summer.

He has swiftly become an integral part of the best defense in the league which has leaked just seven goals, helped Marc-Andre ter Stegen keep 16 clean sheets, and has the Catalans 11 points clear of Real Madrid at the top of the La Liga table.

With Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen the central pairing, however, Kounde – as he was on France’s recent run to the World Cup final – is being deployed at right back.

In an interview for Catalan media outlet TV3, Kounde touched on this and said “everyone knows my preferences”.

“I am adjusting to this position. Now I have to play as a right back, but I do it for the team. There are matches in which I enjoy it more, and others in which I enjoy it less.”

Wherever he is on the pich, however, Kounde finds it “super important” to keep a clean sheet.

“In a competition as long as the league, it gives you life. As a defender, I always have this in my head. And the team too, we press higher and higher every time,” he explained.

Kounde refused to criticise Xavi directly and indicated that, just like the head coach, his top priority is to win games and titles no matter the cost.

Kounde said that Xavi “transmits a lot of hope to the footballers.” “He is the team leader. Every day he wakes up hungry, with this ambition to play better and to win, win and win. You sees him [like this] every time, in the team talks, in training,” Kounde added.

The ambition of Kounde’s teammates was also raised by the 24-year-old. “We are a young group hungry for titles and have the desire to demonstrate [our quality], to take a step forward.”

“The last few years have not been easy for Barca. We all take that into account. We have to put the club as high up as possible,” Kounde concluded.

With Araujo suspended, Kounde may get the nod at center back for Barca’s home match against Cadiz on Sunday.