SPORT reports that Heiko Westermann, who recently began working as Hansi Flick's coach at FC Barcelona, closely monitored Jules Koundé's performance against Austria.
Koundé's game was more than impressive and left a strong, positive impression on Westermann.
Although pre-season is still a long way off, Flick and his coaching team are already hard at work, watching over the players as they take part in the European Championships and the upcoming Copa America.
Barça's coaching staff are using these continental tournaments as an opportunity to watch some live matches, thus gathering valuable information on the players who will take over in July.
On Monday, Westermann reportedly traveled to Dusseldorf to watch the Austria vs France match in person, which ended in a tough 1-0 victory for Didier Deschamps' side.
Deployed as a right-back during the match, Koundé played the full 90 minutes and put in an exceptional performance. Westermann, who speaks fluent Spanish from his time at Betis, was able to see Koundé's abilities up close as the Frenchman displayed strong defensive skills and focused more on defensive duties than attacking.
He won several duels at the back and displayed a high level of intensity throughout the match. His performance was so convincing that teammate Antoine Griezmann also praised him on social media afterwards.
In the second half, Kounde also had a chance in the opposition penalty area, but was unable to convert it accurately.
In addition to the Austria vs France match, Flick and his coaching staff will watch many more European Championship matches live. Their goal is to get a better understanding of the current players and potentially identify new talents to sign in the future.
Watching these matches will allow Flick and his team to gain insight into the players' performances, their strengths and areas for improvement.
This detailed observation will allow the team to make informed decisions about team composition and strategy for next season.
Overall, the coaching staff's proactive approach in monitoring the players during these international tournaments underlines their commitment to thorough preparation for next season.
They want to understand the players better and ensure they are in the best possible condition when pre-season training begins. This is also a great opportunity to discover new additions that could strengthen the squad.
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