From Barcelona to the French camp, Jules Koundé’s autumn has become a contest for minutes. The 27-year-old defender arrived with France after slipping out of the picture at right-back for club and country, with Juventus’s Pierre Kalulu now presenting a serious challenge in Les Bleus’ Nations League programme.
A changing picture in Barcelona
Koundé has been among the substitutes in six of Barcelona’s seven league rounds so far. His only league start came in the 5-2 victory over Rayo Vallecano, while he also began the 5-1 Champions League win against Feyenoord.
- Against Elche, Barcelona won 5-0 with Eric Garcia selected ahead of Koundé at right-back.
- He then remained on the bench for the 2-0 win over Athletic.
- At Valencia’s Mestalla, Koundé entered after 29 minutes when Garcia suffered a broken nose during Barcelona’s 5-0 victory.
- He did not play at all in the subsequent matches against Levante, Racing and Sevilla, which ended 4-2, 7-2 and 3-1 respectively.
Hansi Flick had already indicated that Garcia would be a key option on the right side of the defence this season. The Barcelona coach has also discussed moving Koundé back into central defence, the position he occupied before becoming an established full-back.
Flick described Koundé as “an outstanding professional” who had not started the campaign alongside the rest of the squad. He said the Frenchman’s situation was a challenge requiring competition for places, while praising his work on the training ground and his determination to return to his highest level.
The German also explained that Barcelona would make decisions around the needs of the team rather than any individual. He stressed that Koundé’s daily effort had been evident and that selections could alter quickly depending on the opponent and the match.
Barcelona’s wider full-back situation remains fluid. While Alejandro Balde works to regain confidence on the left, right-footed players Xavi Espart and Joao Cancelo have shared starts there. Both are capable of operating on the opposite flank as well.
France’s initial faith gives way to another bench spell
There was initially a more encouraging signal when Koundé joined Zinedine Zidane’s France squad. Zidane, beginning his tenure as national-team coach, made the Barcelona defender France’s fourth captain behind Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Adrien Rabiot.
- Koundé started at right-back in France’s opening UEFA Nations League fixture in Turkey, completed the match and saw France win 1-0.
- For the 1-0 victory in Belgium, however, Kalulu took the right-back role and Koundé stayed unused throughout.
- The pattern continued in Italy on Friday, where France drew 1-1 and Kalulu again started while Koundé did not leave the bench.
Kalulu, 26, now plays for Juventus after his time at Milan, and his successive starts have placed Koundé’s international role under scrutiny. Monday’s return match with Belgium will offer the clearest indication of whether Zidane is rotating his right-backs or has moved Kalulu into the leading position.
For Koundé, the international break has therefore echoed his current reality in Catalonia: valued for his experience and versatility, but needing the next selection to turn trust into playing time.
