Barcelona defender putting in extra work to return to his best and win back Flick’s trust

Barcelona defender putting in extra work to return to his best and win back Flick’s trust One of the most notable changes at FC Barcelona this season has been Jules Kounde’s loss of prominence in the team. The Frenchman has lost his starting status in the lineup under Hansi Flick , with Eric Garcia becoming the first-choice at right-back. In fact, during the summer, the Blaugrana sporting department was prepared to consider his departure if an attractive offer arrived as the defender was no longer considered untouchable. So far in the 2026/27 season, the 27-year-old star has only started two games out of five for Barça, with one of them coming because Garcia was unavailable due to suspension. Putting in the work Now, according to SPORT , Kounde is fully aware that he is not currently at his best and that he must earn Flick’s confidence again. As such, the French international has been putting in extra work in training to regain his lost prominence. Kounde has lost his place in the team. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) Kounde has always been obsessive about maintaining peak physical condition and has regularly added individual work to Barcelona’s scheduled sessions. The report states that he has been staying behind after first-team training sessions finish. While his teammates head into the dressing room, the Frenchman continues working on the pitch alongside the club’s fitness coaches and physiotherapists. The objective is straightforward: recover his best form and re-establish himself in a position where he has lost prominence. Kounde knows exactly where he stands, and his response has been to work even harder. As well as pushing himself in the gym, he is extending his working days at the Ciutat Esportiva in an attempt to rediscover the form that once made him one of the world’s leading full-backs. Not something new This increased workload is not simply a reaction to his recent decline in form. Not giving up easily. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) Kounde was following a similar routine when he was arguably enjoying the best period of his career, with several major European clubs, including Manchester City, monitoring his situation. The Frenchman has long worked with personal fitness coaches outside Barcelona’s official sessions. He was previously spotted on several occasions training at the athletics track in Sitges at around 6:30 or 7:00 in the morning, several hours before arriving at the Ciutat Esportiva to train with his teammates. That routine says plenty about Kounde’s mentality. He worked relentlessly when he was an undisputed starter, and he continues to do so now that his position has become less secure. Kounde knows he has lost ground and that regaining his place in the starting XI will not be easy. But he has already begun fighting for it.