Hansi Flick, Barcelona’s manager, has sent a clear message about his expectations for punctuality, emphasizing that being late is a sign of disrespect toward teammates. The German coach’s no-nonsense approach has already led to Jules Kounde, the French defender, being dropped from the starting lineup on multiple occasions due to tardiness.
According to Diario AS, Kounde’s first disciplinary issue arose during pre-season when he arrived four minutes late for a meeting. Flick’s response was immediate and firm: “You won’t be in the starting eleven today.” The defender’s punctuality continued to be an issue when he was two minutes late for a meeting ahead of Barcelona’s match against Alaves. As a result, Kounde was once again dropped from the squad, with Flick making it clear that any delay, even by a minute, shows disrespect to his teammates.
This trend continued when the coach again benched Kounde for the match against Espanyol. Reports suggest that this decision was not part of a standard rotation but rather a consequence of him arriving one minute late for a team meeting. Flick reinforced his stance by saying, “When I say 13:30, it is neither 13:29 nor 13:31.”
Pedri, a key player for Barcelona, also recently echoed the importance of punctuality in an interview, stating, “If you arrive late, you don’t play.” It’s clear that under Flick’s leadership, punctuality is not just a preference but a non-negotiable rule, and Kounde’s recent struggles with timeliness highlight just how strict the coach is when it comes to maintaining discipline and respect within the squad.
Leave a Reply