What Hansi Flick and Barcelona think of Jules Kounde’s current form

Barcelona’s Jules Kounde has found himself under the microscope after a string of uneven performances, and Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Real Mallorca only intensified the debate. Mallorca winger Jan Virgili repeatedly isolated the Frenchman down the flank, forcing the 25-year-old into hurried clearances and drawing whistles from sections of the Camp Nou crowd.

According to a detailed report in Diario Sport, Hansi Flick and his staff trace Kounde’s dip to two inter-related factors: an unsustainable run of minutes and the unique “psychological stress” created by Barcelona’s hybrid right-back role. In Flick’s system, the position demands not only one-on-one defending but also constant overlapping to support 16-year-old prodigy Lamine Yamal, a task that has left Kounde looking leggy in transition.

The coaching staff explored rotating their starter in the Copa del Rey ties against Real Oviedo and Albacete, yet both matches saw Kounde introduced off the bench when the scoreboard grew tense. Sources close to the German coach say he remains reluctant to leave the defender out of the XI for league or European assignments, labelling Kounde “essential” to the balance of the side despite occasional lapses.

Club analysts believe the sheer volume of high-stakes fixtures—compounded by the mental load of learning a new positional brief—has eroded the sharpness that once made Kounde one of La Liga’s most assured defenders. Flick, however, is said to be unwavering in his support, convinced that a refreshed Kounde will emerge for the business end of the campaign.

With Barcelona still alive on three fronts, the coming months will reveal whether Flick’s faith in his “too important to rest” linchpin pays dividends or further exposes a squad already walking a tightrope between ambition and exhaustion.