With 70 matches played in 2024, Jules Koundé is the player who has been used the most this year. Saturday, after Barça's defeat against Atlético de Madrid (2-1), the defender pointed to an increasingly overloaded schedule.
Jules Koundé knows what he is talking about. According to figures recorded by the Football Observatory of the International Center for the Study of Sport, the French defender is the footballer who has been in the most demand on the pitch during this year 2024. After Barça's defeat against Atlético de Madrid (2-1) this Saturday in La Liga, the 26-year-old player sounded the alarm.
In this year 2024, Jules Koundé participated in 70 matches. “It’s a mixed feeling,” replied the person concerned at the microphone of beIN Sports. “Somehow, it’s a source of pride because I’m available, it’s one of my strengths. It’s a source of pride to have the trust of the coaches and the team.”
“On the other hand, it’s true that it’s far too many matches,” added Jules Koundé, who exceeded 5,900 minutes of play in 2024. “I’ve already talked enough about the calendar that’s intensifies, notably with the creation of the Club World Cup, which we will not play but I think of my colleagues. We are really killing football.
Koundé did not rule out the idea of a strike
Last Wednesday, Real Madrid won the first edition of the Fifa Intercontinental Cup, which is inspired by the old version of the Club World Cup. The latter has been expanded to 32 clubs but will take place every four years. The first version of this new version will take place at the end of the season.
Recently, several players in the industry including the recent Ballon d'Or Rodri have railed against the overload of the calendar. Last September, Jules Koundé supported the general opinion: “There will come a time when we will have to strike, because it is the only way for us to make our voice heard by those who decide.”
For its part, the global footballers' union, FIFPro, has called for protective measures for players, subjected to an excessive workload in a calendar that continues to lengthen. For FC Barcelona, the next match will take place on January 4, with a meeting in the Copa del Rey.
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