FC Barcelona faced an agonizing defeat at the hands of Inter Milan in the semi-final of the UEFA Champions League. The Blaugranes gave their all on the pitch and were only a few minutes away from securing a place in the final, but the Italians fought back and ultimately eliminated them with a goal in extra time.
This match was also not without its fair share of controversies, with the referee’s performance being held responsible for their defeat by the Barcelona president, head coach, and several players.
Jules Kounde implicated in a controversy
Meanwhile, there was another alleged controversy from this game that could have had a significant impact on the team’s harmony and unity.
Although he was unable to participate in this game due to an injury, the defender Jules Kounde still travelled to Italy to support his teammates and did not miss a single moment of the game.
Some media outlets report that one of his most surprising actions came in the final stretch of normal time, when he expressed his surprise at Hansi Flick’s decision to sub on Robert Lewandowski. These media reports attributed the following words to the Frenchman at this instance:
“I don’t know why he’s playing, he shouldn’t be playing in his current condition.”
The defender rebukes the media
However, as Mundo Deportivo has reported, Kounde rebuked these media reports with a social media post, which criticised these outlets for spreading news of events that never took place. His statement went as follows:
“Making up comments and telling tall tales is all well and good, but that’s not journalism. Neither is spreading information without ensuring it’s true. Now go ahead, share the tweet if you feel like it.”
This statement from Jules Kounde comes at a good time, as a controversy between two such important players in the Barcelona squad can do the team no good. Hopefully, all the players will remain united and recover their spirits as soon as possible, as they have another crucial match against Real Madrid awaiting them on Sunday.
