THE French international has won the LaLiga Santander title in his first season with FC Barcelona.
JULES Koundé is a LaLiga Santander champion. In his first season at FC Barcelona, the club he joined from Sevilla FC in the summer of 2022, the Frenchman has been solid and impressive, both as a right-back and centre-back. Here are five other things you may not already know about him.
A late bloomer
The man who is set to be one of the best defenders in the world over the next decade wasn’t always tipped for the top. It was not until 2013 – at the age of 13 – that he began turning out in the youth ranks of a professional club, Girondins de Bordeaux, but his introverted nature prevented him from standing out in spite of his talent. Nevertheless, the breakthrough came and the door opened in 2015 when he was called up to the first team, even though he had not yet reached the age of 18. And the rest is history.
A full-back turned central defender
During his first steps as a professional, Koundé played on the right side of the back line. Standing 1.78m tall, he was not considered a suitable centre-back but, to cover for an injury, the then Bordeaux coach Gustavo Poyet, asked him to play at centre-back. A great performance was enough to establish himself as the great player he is today, not forgetting his versatility as a full-back, where he has played a lot this season.
His nickname of Cafu
Evidence of just how good Koundé can be at right-back is the fact that one of his nicknames is Cafu. This was given to him by teammates when he was at Sevilla FC between 2019 and 2022. “I don’t know why they call me that, but Cafu was a legend so I don’t mind,” he once explained when asked about the curious nickname.
Koundé-Tchouaméni: From friends to foes
There is an interesting story involving the players involved in two of the most talked-about moves made in last summer’s transfer window. Jules Koundé and Aurélien Tchouaméni crossed paths in the youth ranks at Bordeaux, and since then they have developed a friendship that continues to this day. Such is their bond that they have spent holidays together, and Tchouaméni is even an ambassador for Koundé’s clothing brand. Now, although they share a dressing room with the French national team, they have been going head-to-head in ElClásico in LaLiga Santander.
A diehard NBA… and Iverson fan
Koundé is a huge basketball fan. During his holidays, he even takes the opportunity to travel to the United States to enjoy the NBA live, and he has showed off his ability with a basketball on his social media channels. In an interview when at Sevilla FC, he revealed the one player he admires above all others. “I have a model I usually copy. Who is my favourite player? Allen Iverson,” he replied when asked about his hairstyles. He is also a great admirer of Kobe Bryant’s career.
