Real Madrid - Barcelona: Jules Koundé, Barça's defensive hope to contain Real
In the business, he is known as "The Cobra". The name was coined after a celebration by the Frenchman, who was still at Sevilla, and it has never left him. And like the animal, Jules Koundé has gradually made his mark on the Spanish game, after a remarkable development at Bordeaux.
The young defender, who has been trained as a centre-back, has good reflexes and is ready to take on his friend Aurelien Tchouameni in his first Clasico on Sunday. A great match for a 23-year-old with a promising future.
The pride of the Girondins training centre
Jules Koundé is first and foremost the fruit of a long training program established by the Girondins de Bordeaux. There, he evolved quietly from 2013 to 2017, wearing the captain's armband in almost every match he played in the youth system. Efficient and focused on the goal of moving up to the first team, the defender won the French U19 championship. This was enough for him to finally play in the elite.
"During the year we won the title, he was above the others, he was the boss, the defensive leader. He took the others in his wake," said his coach at the time, Jean-Luc Dogon. An aptitude, or a natural talent for leadership on the pitch that even impressed Gaëtan Laborde, Girondin in 2018.
"He surprises many people, he passed every test with flying colours, I hope he will continue, it is important for him," Laborde confided to France 3 Regions four years ago. And indeed, Jules Koundé continued to play in Ligue 1 until the summer of 2019. Courted by several clubs, his choice was Spain and Sevilla, a club where he revealed himself more in three years.
A diamond in the rough at Sevilla
From the moment Jules Koundé stepped onto the pitch at the Sanchez Pizjuan, his career took on another dimension. He went from being a hopeful to an established player. An undeniable key to Julen Lopetegui's game, he surprises with his unusual size - 178 cm for a central defender - and his agility with the ball. The Frenchman has been an important part of the team's recovery and aerial play for three seasons, and has progressed steadily.
With Sevilla, Jules Koundé wins a Europa League (2019-2020). Feeling that he was at the end of a cycle, in 2022, the defender chose to listen to the serenades of the big European clubs. Chelsea contacted him, as did Manchester City, but he had to wait for a place to become available. In the end, Barcelona coach Xavi was able to convince him to join the Blaugrana.
The right man for the job at Barça
"Start from the back, play high, use my speed and anticipation skills.... He (Xavi) wants an aggressive team: we're one of the teams that presses the highest, that runs the most. He saw me in this system and I also saw myself in this team," explained Jules Koundé to L'Equipe on 18 September.
Happy to change clubs and remain a central defender, Jules Koundé embraced his destiny and took part in Barcelona's fine start to the season in the league, until his injury during the France-Austria match (2-0) on 22 September 2022.
It was a big blow for Xavi, who has to find new solutions at the back, even though his team is decimated by injuries. The Frenchman, who was expected to be the Messiah by a coach who is tired of having to make up for the absence of the majority of his defenders with Gerard Pique completely out of his depth, could play alongside Eric Garcia in central defence on Sunday.
In a different system, he could start on the right, while Marcos Alonso would form Barça's central spot, with Alex Baldé taking the left flank.
At the beginning of September, Jules Koundé was praised by Sport after his match against Sevilla: "The Frenchman gave two assists in attack and was a wall in defence. He is a giant in both areas. Perhaps his return to La Liga will be as great as the praise he has received: great."
