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XAVI'S PHILOSOPHY WON: KOUNDE REJECTED TUCHEL'S CHELSEA TACTICS FOR BARçA
Jules Kounde reveals he picked Barcelona over Chelsea because he preferred Xavi's tactical style and natural conversation to Thomas Tuchel's.
Jules Kounde, Barcelona's full back, said he picked Barcelona over Chelsea because he liked Xavi Hernandez's style more than Thomas Tuchel's. Back when Kounde was at Sevilla, both clubs wanted him. He said he had good talks with Xavi and enjoyed how naturally he spoke.
Kounde came to Barcelona in 2022 after doing well with Sevilla, winning the Europa League in 2020. Known for being a strong, smart defender who can play the ball out from the back, he quickly became important to Barcelona's defence and helped them win two La Liga titles.
Before joining Barcelona, Chelsea really wanted Kounde, which started a fight between the two clubs. In the end, Barcelona got him because Xavi's plan sounded better to Kounde than what Tuchel had at Chelsea. Since then, he's been key to making the defence stronger and helping Barcelona try to win in both Spain and Europe.
Kounde said that Xavi's style stood out to him more than Tuchel's, especially how naturally the Spanish manager talked about soccer. This was a big part of why he chose Barcelona over Chelsea.
“I enjoyed our conversation,” he said. Time flew by, and that's always a good sign when you're talking so naturally. We mainly talk about soccer, which is what I like talking about most, especially with the manager, Xavi, who was one of the best players ever.”
He added, “I spoke to Tuchel and felt that he wanted me to go, but I simply preferred conversation—Xavi’s approach.”
Kounde also liked that Barcelona planned to play him as a centre-back, unlike Chelsea, which wanted him as a full-back, saying, “I chose Bara because I know that most of the time I will play in this position [centre-back].”
Back in July, there were reports that Manchester City wanted Kounde to beef up their defence. He had been one of Barcelona’s best players the previous season, playing a big part in their league win and even scoring the winning goal against Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final. Meanwhile, City had their hardest season under Pep Guardiola since 2016–17, not winning any major trophies and struggling on defence. But the rumours stopped when Kounde signed a new deal with Barcelona, keeping him there until 2030.
Barcelona's sporting director, Deco, said that City asked about Kounde in July, saying, "No, there was no offer." The only thing I do know is that City, and now there's [new director of soccer] Hugo Viana, and before that there was Txiki [Begiristain], were looking for a full-back, and of course they asked us if Koundé was on the market. And we told them no. So, there was no offer or any negotiation.
With Kounde signing a contract extension until 2030, his choice to join Barcelona seems to have worked out well. He has won titles with the team and is playing at a high level in Europe. Barcelona got back to winning, beating Athletic Bilbao 4-0 in their first game at the Camp Nou since it was renovated.
HANSI FLICK'S WARNING: GET READY FOR A "DIFFERENT BARçA" NOW
Hansi Flick vows a "different Barcelona" will appear after a chastening 3-0 defeat to Chelsea. The coach demands more aggression.
After Barcelona's tough 3-0 loss to Chelsea in the Champions League, coach Hansi Flick says fans can expect a different Barcelona side soon. The game at Stamford Bridge saw Jules Koundé score an own goal, giving Chelsea an early lead. Estêvão and Liam Delap then scored in the second half, after Barça's Ronald Araújo was sent off.
This loss puts the Spanish champs in 15th place, with only seven points from five games. They're now in danger of not making the top eight, which would get them straight into the round of 16.
You’ll see a different Barcelona in our next games, I promise, Flick said at the press conference. I said it before the game, too. I see how we're training—the quality and how hard we're working. It's way better than six weeks ago.
Players are coming back, which makes our training better. I feel good about that, and I’m staying positive.
Raphinha played again in the second half, which is great. Marcus [Rashford] is getting back to his best after being ill, and Pedri is coming back too. We need to keep working hard and stay positive.
Ferran Torres had a great chance to score early on, but Chelsea then took over.
Koundé’s own goal came after good play from Marc Cucurella and Pedro Neto. Then Araújo was sent off for a second yellow card after a late tackle on Cucurella.
Estêvão scored a great goal to make it 2-0 in the 55th minute, and Delap added another, leaving Flick frustrated with his team's lack of fight.
"We need to be more aggressive, especially when it's one-on-one," Flick said. Chelsea is always aggressive; they use their bodies and are dynamic. That’s what I want from my team.
We sometimes think we can control things with the ball, but in the Champions League, especially against a Premier League team like Chelsea, it doesn't work that way. We need to fight harder and be more aggressive.
We started well and had a big chance to score, but the red card changed everything.
It's tough to come back against a team like Chelsea with only 10 players. We have to accept the loss, but I’m feeling good about our next games.
Barça defender Eric García called it a really bad night.
We had some chances, but then we conceded from a set play, he said. In the second half, we tried to stay in the game and hit them on the counter, but the second goal finished us.
Chelsea played through our pressure, and we didn't adjust well. We tried to play out from the back, but it was impossible. They kept finding the free man, and we were just chasing the ball.
We have to be more competitive in these games. If you’re not strong in the duels and on the second balls, it's almost impossible to win.
Barça will finish the Champions League group stage with games against Eintracht Frankfurt, Slavia Prague, and Copenhagen. But first, they’re back to LaLiga, with home games against Alavés and Atlético Madrid.
RAPHINHA PRAISES ESTEVAO TALENT BEFORE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GAME
Barcelona's Raphinha hails teammates Lamine Yamal and Chelsea's Estevao, predicting the teenage sensations will be among the "world's best" players.
Before Tuesday's Champions League game at Stamford Bridge, Barcelona winger Raphinha spoke about how Lamine Yamal and Chelsea's Estevao are compared.
You can see why Yamal and Estevao are considered two of the most talked-about young players right now.
Even though they're only 18, they've become key players for their clubs and countries.
Cucurella, who plays with Estevao at Chelsea and Yamal for Spain, has said they're both special players.
Raphinha plays with Yamal at Barcelona and Estevao for Brazil, so he probably knows them pretty well.
I think they're both amazing players, Raphinha said Monday about Estevao and Yamal.
I think they'll be among the best players in the world in the next few years.
They're really talented, and how far they go is up to them. They're doing all the right things.
I try to share what I've learned, but they have the talent. They're going to be great for years to come.
Raphinha almost went to Chelsea.
Raphinha joined Barcelona in the summer of 2022, but Chelsea was also interested in him.
I really wanted to play for Barça. "I believed it would happen, and here I am," he said.
After my last game for Leeds, I knew that both Barça and Chelsea wanted me.
They're both great teams, but I had a dream to play for Barça. I did everything I could to make it happen and didn't consider other teams.
Raphinha played briefly in Barcelona's win over Athletic Bilbao last weekend, after being out for two months with a hamstring injury.
It's not sure if he'll start at Stamford Bridge, especially after Ferran Torres played so well against Bilbao, scoring twice.
Barcelona also has Marcus Rashford, who is on loan from Manchester United, as another option on the left wing. He missed the game last weekend because he was sick, but he is in London.
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