Barcelona defender reflects on injury ordeal, opines on Lamine vs Dembele Ballon d’Or race | OneFootball

Barcelona defender Jules Kounde addressed the media during his time with the French national team ahead of World Cup qualifiers against Ukraine and Iceland.

The 26-year-old, who made his first start of the season against Rayo Vallecano, opened up about the challenges he faced at the end of last season.

Kounde recalled the disappointment of missing key matches due to injury last season, particularly the Champions League semi-final against Inter Milan.

The defender had to leave the first leg in the first half and was sidelined for the decisive second leg and the closing stages of the season.

“It was frustrating to miss important games at the end of last season, especially since we were in the semifinals.

“It bothered me even more because it happened after being in such a good mood after the win against Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final.

“I tried to control some things, but sometimes your body tells you to stop,” Kounde explained.

Playing alongside Ballon d’Or contenders

During the press conference, Kounde also shared his thoughts on his club and national team colleagues.

He was quick to praise Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and former teammate Ousmane Dembele, as he refused to pick his favourite for this year’s Ballon d’Or.

“Both deserve the award because they have had a fantastic season with titles won, especially the Champions League for Ousmane.

Kounde refused to pick a favourite for the Ballon d’Or. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

“It’s hard to pick because I’m not the one who votes, but every player has their reasons for winning it.

“I’m happy with my presence with Lamine and seeing how he helps us, and the same thing, seeing the development of Ousmane’s career with whom I shared a season at Barcelona.

“Now, he is playing great football with Paris looking at the numbers he’s achieving,” he said.

On player workload and PSG game

The French international also stressed the growing concern around player workload and the heavy calendar.

“There are things we need to improve and opinions we need to take into account.

“There are coaches who have spoken about it and people involved in this issue who aren’t sufficiently informed.

“Everyone in football is affected by this system. Even in life, when we receive something in large doses, we get tired. So I think we need to change some things.”

Looking ahead, Kounde touched on Barcelona’s clash with Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League this season, a tie that many fans had hoped to see as last season’s final.

“This is a match we are looking forward to. During the break, many people told me they were eager to see this match in last season’s Champions League final, but we didn’t manage to get there.

“Historically, there have been great encounters between the two teams. Barcelona have won matches, just as we lost a match like the one at Montjuic. There are commonalities between the two teams,” he noted.

Source: Mundo Deportivo