Hansi Flick punishes Joules Kounde for late arrival at training

Hansi Flick made the decision to leave Jules Kounde out of the starting lineup for the third time this season, emphasising the importance of discipline within the team.

Unfortunately, Kounde arrived late for the pre-match routine before Barcelona's La Liga match against Rayo Vallecano on Monday night. In response, Coach Hansi Flick opted to give Hector Fort a chance to play at right-back, showing his commitment to maintaining a disciplined and focused squad.

Hansi Flick punished Joules Kounde 

Flick has taken a firm stance with Kounde regarding his repeated tardiness. This isn't the first instance; during pre-season, the French defender was benched for arriving late to a fixture. In October, Kounde was also excluded from the starting lineup against Alaves simply for being two minutes late. This behaviour cannot be tolerated moving forward.

"When I say 13:30 hours, it’s neither 13:29 nor 13:31," Flick told 

In November, he faced punishment from Flick once more, being left out of the starting XI for the match against Espanyol. He made it clear that when he stated 13:30 hours, he meant exactly that—neither 13:29 nor 13:31. Flick reinforced his commitment to punctuality by addressing Kounde directly, underscoring his strict stance on the matter.

Barcelona decisively claimed their spot at the top of the La Liga table with a 1-0 victory over Rayo. Just three weeks ago, they trailed Real Madrid by seven points, but the reigning champions have faltered in their last three league matches, allowing Barcelona to seize the lead.

Kounde is determined to avoid Flick's penalties and is poised to start in the upcoming match as Barcelona travels to Las Palmas on Saturday, February 22. They are fully intent on maintaining their position at the summit of the La Liga table.

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