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Barcelona’s Crusader for Vigilant Journalism Strikes Again With Hilarious Post

Jules Kounde has been on an admirable campaign against some sections of Spanish media for months.
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Jules Kounde is not to be messed with this year.
Jules Kounde is not to be messed with this year. / Judit Cartiel/Getty Images

On his latest patrol for the truth police, Barcelona fullback Jules Kounde rubbished reports of his injury with a reference to Pinocchio.

Kounde was forced off in Barcelona’s final match of 2025. With a little over 10 minutes remaining of Sunday’s 2–0 win over Villarreal, the buccaneering defender went down clutching his leg. Kounde required medical treatment before he was subbed off.

Immediately after the match, Barça boss Hansi Flick played down concerns over Kounde. “I think it’s O.K.,” he told assembled media. “In the last three days, he had problems. He was sick. He said he’d give his best. He’s felt some cramp. We will test him when we arrive in Barcelona, but it does not seem serious. We expect that.”

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However, with January’s Spanish Super Cup looming, where Barcelona face Athletic Club in the semifinals before a potential showpiece fixture against one of Atlético or Real Madrid, there were fears that Kounde would be sidelined for even longer with a torn hamstring. AS originally ran a report claiming as much, which Javi Miguel posted on X.

Kounde quoted that post with a gif showing the fictional character Pinocchio’s nose growing rapidly, a consequence of telling a lie. Miguel promptly removed his story.

AS swiftly ran a new report claiming that Kounde’s recovery would only last two weeks, giving him ample time to feature in Saudi Arabia if not even earlier. The Madrid-based publication were not the first to be stung by Kounde’s quest for vigilant journalism.

Kounde’s Crusade Against Spanish Media

Jules Kounde
Jules Kounde will not bite his tongue. / Judit Cartiel/Getty Images

Kounde is no stranger to calling out Spanish media outlets. After Mundo Deportivo reported in May that Kounde was one of several Barcelona players to celebrate May’s 4–3 Clásico victory over Real Madrid at a Travis Scott concert, Kounde snapped back: “Another lie...

“I wasn’t anywhere close to this place. This is not journalism. Do better.”

Cataluyna Radio and the publication SPORT both came under fire last season for “inventing” quotes from Kounde during the Champions League semifinal. The France international, who was injured at the time, was accused of questioning Flick’s decision to bring Robert Lewandowski on for the closing stages of the second leg against Inter which Barça would go on to lose.

“Inventing comments and telling tall tales is all well and good, but it’s not journalism,” he wrote on X. “What isn’t journalism either is posting information without guaranteeing that it’s true. Now then, you can post the tweet if you feel like it.”

This season, Kounde’s quest for honesty has continued, although his critiques have become more creative. A few weeks before the Pinocchio reference, the 27-year-old responded to claims that he had requested to play at center back with a truth-lie detector gif. Spain’s media outlets have been well and truly warned.

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