Now we have the ‘flow’”, Hansi Flick usually says to describe the great moment of his players, and immediately afterwards it becomes inevitable to think about the figure of Jules Koundé (Paris, 25 years old), the head of good vibes. In his third season at the Barça club and with more than a hundred games played with his shirt, Koundé, a key member of an exciting young team, manages his interviews, perhaps because when he grants them he has things to say. That impression leaves after chatting with The Vanguard.
How many hours do you dedicate to football?
Quite a few… I train three times a day, about three and a half or four hours. And then there is what football requires: taking care of yourself, sleeping well, recovery…
You are a perfectionist.
Before I trained only twice, now I train three times, because I thought I could improve something, optimize.
Do you train at home?
Yes, they are sessions of about 45 minutes, before and after training at the club. And under his supervision so as not to overload me.
He is obsessed with being well.
Football is a profession, but above all in my case it has been a passion since I was very child. And, as in life, when you dedicate time to something and put your heart into it, things usually turn out well.
Where does that dedication come from?
I was never a super talented player who was flying through the youth ranks. Things have turned out well for me because I have worked hard. And for me discipline is something very important.
His compatriot Thierry Henry says that effort and discipline are talent…
Exact. Discipline is what leads you to success. Many times we talk about motivation, but motivation is something that is not always there. I’ll be honest, it happens more than once a week. Sometimes, like any human being, you wake up and don’t feel like it. What makes you rise is discipline.
With that mentality you must have been a good student.
I liked going to school, learning things. And discipline was instilled in me by my mother, always paying attention to my grades.
What did your mother do?
I worked in the postal box, managing assets. My mother is always present. We spent a lot of time reviewing and learning, so it’s helped me in football too.
Already in Bordeaux…
Yes, I was born in Paris but when I was one year old my family already moved there, it is my mother’s city.
Prevention
“I hate getting injured. I can’t stand it. So I try to do my best to prevent it from happening. “I train three times a day”
And his father?
He played the drums, his profession.
And you didn’t follow in his footsteps?
No, unfortunately. My mother also played the piano. I love music, but I have never played an instrument. I don’t rule it out in the future.
You have to escape from time to time. What role does the psychological aspect play in your preparation?
Play an important role. I began to be interested in the mental aspect quite early. In a sport like football, you need it. If you are not well mentally, things will not turn out well for you physically.
Demarcation
I have been a defender since I was 12 years old, it is a word that I like, I enjoy defending”
When did it start?
In Bordeaux, in my first year as a professional. I remember that they voluntarily suggested that we go to a kind of mental trainer to ‘hang out for a while and see how it goes’. There was a lot of prejudice. Of 25 players, only four of us went to see it. I like to try things. And then I decide if it helps me or not. But at least I have that information. I decided that that would help me, and since then I work on the mental part when I need it.
To play a hundred games for Barça you have to be physically and psychologically well.
I am very proud. 100 matches is a significant number. The best virtue a player can have, apart from quality, is being available.
He gets little injuries.
I hate getting injured. I can’t stand it. So I try to do my best to prevent it from happening.
But there is life beyond football.
We footballers feel that if there is no football, life does not go so well.
What was Barça for you when you were little?
I was from Bordeaux and little else. I was always more into players than teams. I don’t have the soul of an amateur.
What players?
I loved Zidane and Ronaldinho.
Masia
“I see Pau (Cubarsí) at 17 years old and I am impressed by his calmness”
And defenses?
When you are a child, forwards are the ones who score goals and attract attention, although, the truth is, I have been a defender since I was 12 years old. And it’s a word that I like.
Flick says that Barça has ‘flow’. Are you the king of ‘flow’ in the locker room?
Like the king of ‘flow’! (laughs). But yes, it’s true, at Barça now everything flows.
And not before?
Since I arrived in Barcelona we have had a good atmosphere, a good group whether things went well or not. Perhaps this year the incorporation of more people from La Masia, the arrival of the new coach and, above all, the good results, super important, have had a positive influence.
Crack
“Lamine seems like he’s playing in his garden. I talk to him a lot and he listens to me”
How about Flick?
He is someone who cares a lot about all the details. He not only cares about the players, but also about the staff, the medical staff… He pays close attention to attitudes and corrects them if necessary.
Everything is going well.
It is in these moments that we have to be even more attentive. Human beings have a bad habit of relaxing, and that is the worst thing that can happen to us, because we are still in the first part of the season and we have not achieved anything.
You have been very generous with Xavi.
Because I think so. We must not forget what we have achieved, we must give value to the titles, the League and the Super Cup. I had the feeling that in many moments of these two years we did things well, we played well, the people also enjoyed it. For me things are not black or white, many times it is gray, I see it that way. Xavi cannot be blamed for anything.
Barça evolves…
Exact. The base of the players is the same, and then another coach comes and changes the dynamic, with other ideas.
Is Barça the favorite to win the League as already said?
I don’t pay much attention to that. It matters to me that we focus on ourselves, when you start to hear the noise outside…
Don’t you follow the media?
I used to do it more, but if you get angry about what is written in a newspaper you waste time and, above all, energy.
And how do you see the young players on the team in that sense?
When playing soccer he has a maturity inappropriate for his age. And his way of coping with pressure catches my attention.
They are very young…
In the locker room they are children, they make a noise that makes your head spin (laughs).
You are 25 and you have to play the veteran.
That’s the feeling, yes. More and more kids are joining and we are delighted that this is the case. Look at Cubarsi. Pau is central. I remember myself at 17 years old and I was not so fine, so calm when it came to playing, and this is what impresses me the most, that everything flows, that it withstands pressure naturally.
Tell me about Lamine Yamal
He has been with us for a year or so and he is already a key and differential player, you see him play and it seems like he is enjoying himself in his garden.
Your role is also to take care of it.
Yes of course. Even though you are at a very high level, there are still things you have to learn, and that you don’t know yet.
Flick and tactics
“I have never defended so high in my career, we have trained him a lot”
Do you listen to him?
We both talk a lot, I have a very good relationship with him, he is a boy who listens, but not just to me, he listens to all of us. Despite being a starter, he is a boy who listens and this is also very important for his future.
Does it help you in defense?
I’m not going to give you advice on how to dribble, but I will give you advice on how to position yourself to defend, because communicating on the field is essential.
Who is more difficult to mark Vinícius or Lamine in training?
It’s just that Lamine and I are often on the same team, and when we’re not, it doesn’t go through my band…
Good dribble yours…
Vinícius is a super player, he makes a difference and is very difficult to defend.
You don’t get upset about anything on the field. Are there no forwards who get on your nerves?
I don’t dislike trash talking, I practice it outside and I like it with my friends or when I see it in the NBA, but when I play professionally I prefer not to spend energy on it.
Have you ever defended in your career leaving so many meters behind you?
So high, never.
What is the secret to your offside success? Work? Do you have to be a little crazy?
A little of both (laughs). We have been training him a lot with videos since the preseason, it is a very important aspect for the coach. It requires intelligence and concentration.
Do you enjoy it or suffer it?
I enjoy. Do you know why? Because, in the end, it allows the team to press, recover high balls and create chances and I think the team is understanding this very well, even the forwards. Defense should never be a five-player thing. We couldn’t play with such a high line if they didn’t put pressure up front, because if not, you’re sold. It will always be our DNA.
What makes you happy about a game?
I like to win, for the team to play well. Also when we won 1-0, suffering together.
Well this season, rarely…
But we will not always earn more than enough.
More personal
Koundé, nearby
At first you seem very reserved. But her way of dressing is daring, even transgressive…
I am reserved in places I don’t know, but with my people I am something else, a joker and talkative.
And fashion?
I like to dress as a means to express myself, to show what influences me. I don’t see it as being so daring, rather it’s something natural.
In the locker room they will surely talk about it.
Yes, yes. But hey, I’m interested in fashion and I’m a little different, yes.
That’s good.
Sure.
Do you have your own stylist?
No, I’m going to my thing. I have had proposals to run campaigns but I don’t like it. I prefer to do it myself.
She likes jewelry. Any that you always carry?
I like them but I’m not superstitious. Not materialistic. There are more important things in life.
For example…
I can’t spend 24 hours thinking only about football. Life is not limited to your work, even if it is very nice. There are friends, family.
But he lives alone.
Yes, in Sitges, but friends and family come a lot.
What else distracts you?
Music, cinema, the NBA…
What movie do you review from time to time?
Heat, with Robert De Niro, one of my favorites.
What would you take from Seville to Barcelona?
I like salmorejo (laughs).
How was your life in Barcelona?
I really like the city center but I don’t go out much. And I enjoy the sun, the sea…
How do you speak Catalan?
I thought it looked more like French! I went to classes… but with three training sessions a day. But I understand it without a problem.
Recommend a song you’ve been listening to lately to finish.
Birds of a feather, by Billie Eilish.
#Koundé #super #talent #put #discipline #heart
