Gustavo Poyet had him under his command at Girondins and is convinced that the Barça club has made the right move with his signing
He considers that he will adapt without problems and that he will make a great pair with Araujo in the defensive axis
Gustavo Poyet had Jules Koundé under his command at Girondins de Bordeaux. At that time, the French defender was a young footballer who was already standing out, so the Uruguayan coach is not at all surprised that he has ended up with a great club like FC Barcelona. He has no doubt that he will succeed and that he will become an important player for Xavi Hernández.
Do you see Jules Koundé ready to play for Barça?
Yes, without a doubt. At the age of 19 he made his debut in a club with a long history like Girondins. And he manages to get a place in eleven. He plays with all the coaches and then at Sevilla he has shown a great level.He has proven himself in a club that had been competing for great things and has excelled, has won titles and has consolidated. Also, he is at a perfect age.
You always trusted him. He saw a lot of potential in him.
Yes, but he earned it. He is a player who always seeks to improve, he asked to do specific jobs. With his work and his performance he showed that he deserved to play
Do you think that the style of play that Xavi wants to put into practice at Barça favors him?
Barça’s style suits him perfectly. At Barça there is always a lot of ground behind the defense but Jules is very powerful and quick to correct if necessary. Xavi, as I also liked him, wants centre-backs who are daring with the ball, who can break lines. I asked him to join the midfield to create superiorities.
Sometimes he even stepped on the area. He precisely he scored a goal against Barça by entering the kitchen.
Yes, yes, sometimes I had to stop him because he loves to go up with the ball. And then they have the ability and the potential to go back down.
Mentally do you see him prepared to play in a ‘big’ like Barça?
YES. It’s what I told you before. At the age of 19 he made his debut in Girondins and has a lot of personality. He is very professional and playing for Barça will not weigh him down. They are making very good signings, a very competitive team and I’m sure that if Xavi manages to find the balance and everyone helps him, he won’t have any problems.
It is always said that it is not easy to adapt to the Barça game
Apart from being powerful, Koundé also has a good understanding of the game, I don’t think he has many problems in this regard. In the end it’s about working in training but he has all the conditions to adapt perfectly.
With Araujo do you think they form a spectacular central pairing?
Yes. The two can be compensated. They are two players with presence, fast and perfect for Barça’s style. Araujo already plays with the Uruguayan senior team and he is a very aggressive player, in a good way, and he already has experience playing for Barça. He has this knowledge. Jules can learn from him in this aspect and also from the other centre-backs, like Piqué.
In addition, it is versatile. Do you see it from the side?
You can play easy in that position. At some particular moment, he can play on the wing, but personally I think it’s better when he plays as a central defender, I like it better. But it is true that due to his quality he can also act in the band.
