Koundé sidelined at club and country, a double demotion that raises questions

Jules Koundé is going through an unprecedented rough patch: absent from the starting eleven at both FC Barcelona and the French national team, the 26-year-old defender finds himself having to reclaim his place on two fronts simultaneously.

Everything had started well under Zinédine Zidane. Koundé was a starter in the new manager’s first match, against Turkey. But for the next two Nations League fixtures — against Belgium and then Italy — it was Pierre Kalulu who occupied the right flank. The Barcelona defender did not play a single minute in either of those matches.

The situation is no better at club level. Just before this international window, Hansi Flick had left him on the bench for Barça’s last three outings, against Levante, Santander and Sevilla FC, preferring Eric Garcia on the right flank. Again, Koundé did not play a single minute.

It is this parallel between club and country that caught the attention of the Spanish press, notably the daily AS, which drew a link between the two situations. An undisputed regular under Didier Deschamps, the former Bordeaux player now finds himself in a position he had not known since arriving at Barcelona.

Zidane said recently: “I don’t have starters, I have twenty-three players who can be.” A formula that leaves the door open to everyone, but which, in practice, is not working in Koundé’s favour for now. France play a fourth and final match of this gathering on Monday against Belgium: will the manager confirm Kalulu or give Koundé another chance to reignite the debate?