In the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final between Barcelona and Atlético Madrid, which ended in a 4-4 draw, there were many controversial points, especially regarding the team’s starting lineup. Despite the brilliance of some players, French defender Jules Koundé was one of the names heavily criticized after his poor performance in the match.
According to information from the Spanish newspaper “El Nacional,” Koundé, who plays as a right-back, has become the focus of attention for many Barcelona players who have strongly criticized him for his unsatisfactory performance in the last match. This led them to demand that he be excluded from the starting lineup. At the forefront of these players were Pedri and De Jong, who asked coach Hansi Flick to give Ronald Araujo the opportunity to play at right-back instead of Koundé, especially in decisive matches.
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Koundé’s poor performance was clearly evident in the last match against Atlético Madrid in the Copa del Rey, where he made many defensive mistakes and was unable to positively influence the attack. This modest level of performance has raised many questions about his ability to handle the responsibility of the right-back position, leading some to call for his replacement.
Despite this widespread criticism from his teammates, coach Flick seems to be sticking to his choices, as he insists on keeping Koundé in the starting lineup for the upcoming matches. Flick, who has shown strong commitment to the approach he has started since arriving at Barcelona, does not seem ready to back down from his decisions easily, even with clear demands from the players to change some tactical choices.
