Jules Kounde said on Monday that Spanish striker Lamin Yamal’s comments that France should be wary of the reigning European champions ahead of the World Cup semi-finals were not a sign of disrespect.
Spain will play French team Kounde in Arlington, Texas on Tuesday and after Red After beating Belgium in the quarter-finals last Friday, Yamal said France should be wary of them in the semi-finals.
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“No, not once did we feel a lack of respect,” said Kunde, Yamal’s Barcelona teammate. “I know Lamin very well. For me, this is a demonstration of his confidence. I saw this at Barça. They are confident in their attitude and the team they play for.”
“I see it as extra motivation for him and nothing more.”
On Monday, Yamal was asked again about his remarks and did not back down.
“I’m not surprised, I know you guys,” Yamal told reporters. “They asked me if I was afraid of France and I said no. We are European champions. It’s football, as Kunde said. It’s football, that’s all.”
The game between top-ranked France and third-ranked Spain is a rematch of the 2024 European Championship semi-final, which Luis de la Fuente’s side won 2-1 on their way to lifting the trophy.
Yamal scored a stellar goal in the game and will be the center of attention for France as they look to reach the World Cup final for the third tournament in a row. But French national team midfielder Adrien Rabiot said that protecting Spain is not only about closing Yamal.
“We don’t have a specific plan for Yamal. We are focused on the whole Spanish team, not just one player,” Rabiot said. “We know they are dangerous everywhere. Him, their front line, their possession of the ball, the way they play in small spaces around the box, their passing game.”
“I think we need to focus on all of this and not just one individual.”
Barcelona teammates Lamin Yamal and Jules Kounde will meet in the World Cup semi-final between Spain and France. Getty Images
France’s attack at this summer’s World Cup has been devastating – they have scored 16 goals in six games, eight of which came from star striker Kylian Mbappe – but Kounde said he knows their opponents on Tuesday present a different challenge to the teams they have faced so far.
“Yes, we are two teams that attack a lot. Both love to have the ball,” Kounde said. “Spain always liked to have the ball and could hurt you in transition. Us too. We are a team that is comfortable in possession and can also defend deep and explode in transition.”
“We have to remember that tomorrow we will have the ball because against Spain you can’t leave the ball for 90 minutes. This can’t happen.”
Kounde added that the team will have mixed emotions playing on July 14, Bastille Day in France, and also the day of the 2016 Nice attack that killed 86 people.
“Certainly. Today is July 14th. Our national day,” Kunde said. “Despite the fact that for several years now this has been a date of mourning due to the terrorist attacks in Nice. We will think about the families of the victims. But this is a national day. We really want to make the French people proud.”
“It’s been that way since the beginning of this journey.”
The winner of Tuesday’s semifinal will play either England or Argentina in the final on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.