Ahead of the UEFA Nations League match between France and Belgium, Kounde attended the pre-match press conference, where he discussed the reasons for his reduced playing time at Barcelona, competition within the French squad, and his experience working with Deschamps. This article covers the second half of the press conference.

First half of the press conference

Kounde: My performance last season was far below my normal level, and my reduced playing time is related to that.

You've been training together for almost two weeks now. What changes have you noticed during this time in terms of management and tactics?

It's a bit early to say, and I don't really like making comparisons. But I'm happy to talk about what the coach wants to build. I think people have already seen some of it in the three games we've played so far.

We want to be a team that actively presses after losing the ball, pushing our line higher to prevent opponents from easily building up play. When we have the ball, we want to control it. But when there's an opportunity, or the situation demands it, we also want to advance directly forward.

I believe that over time, people will see more and more. Everything is still new, but as the games progress, we will continue to improve in both aspects: with and without the ball. I think we have room for improvement in both areas.

The coach said that given France's recent performances, set pieces are an area that needs improvement. How do you work with his assistant coach Bettoni? Against Italy, we saw some new arrangements, with many players positioned outside the box during corners. What's the idea behind this setup? How do you practice it?

If we're talking about defense, the idea is always to be as compact as possible and not give the opponent any chances. In the past, we've done well in this regard. Against Italy, there were two scenarios where I think some small details needed adjustment.

But overall, we also need to adjust based on the opponent's setup—seeing which areas they occupy and which they leave open—striving to perform well at both ends of the field and also trying to score from set pieces. I believe we have the team and the players capable of doing that.

We know that in modern football, being able to handle set pieces well is a very powerful weapon. Set pieces are a match scenario, and such scenarios are becoming more frequent, with all teams attaching more and more importance to this aspect.

Beyond physical training at your club or with the French national team, do you engage in any specific personal training, whether physical or mental?

I have a physical trainer in Barcelona, and I train with him, always in coordination with the club. We try to optimize my physical preparation, practicing things I might not have time to do at the club, or doing more personalized work. I've been doing this for a while now.

It's the same mentally; I work with a mental coach, communicating with him and dealing with various situations in daily life, both football-related and otherwise.

Compared to the previous coaching staff, what changes or specific adjustments does this coaching staff require from you in this position? What is the most fundamental change?

I don't know if there are any fundamental changes. But I can say that it aligns with the coach's demands for the entire team, which is to have control, especially in possession. So this is also an area where I believe I have a lot of room for improvement. Technically, I need to work on reducing errors when handling the ball and playing direct passes forward when opportunities arise.

After that, it also depends on how the attack is organized and where the players are positioned. Individual requirements often revolve around the collective. I mean, it depends on the passing lanes. In some games, we will play one way.

Even with a common overall direction for the team, there will always be some adjustments when facing different opponents.

But overall, I would say there's a certain continuity in the demands of this position. They also ask me to push forward when there's an opportunity, but that's not a new requirement; it was the same before. So there are no fundamental changes.

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