Source:REUTERS/Scott Heppell
[Saba Sports News] With his excellent performances and personality, Jules Kounde has won the affection of Barcelona fans. After two seasons with almost no rest, he is recognized as the team’s best right-back, solid in defense and reliable going forward. However, an incident two weeks ago surprised teammates and club staff. After training concluded, players returned to the dressing room – some for treatment, some to eat, and some younger players used the time to play table tennis, building team cohesion. What truly caught the coaching staff’s attention, however, was Kounde choosing to stay on the grass for extra running. This was entirely his own decision; such additional effort could only come from someone like Kounde, who is never satisfied. But this was not an isolated incident. Residents of Sitges report often seeing Kounde exercising as early as 7 a.m., before heading to the training ground for the regular daily session. The Frenchman isn’t content with just the official hour-and-a-half of daily training; he chooses to do extra work beforehand to ensure he is better prepared. As he himself says, he has a particular fondness for “pre-training training,” a habit that carries an almost poetic quality and has become part of his preparation routine.