When Hansi Flick introduced his rule to discourage flashy pre-match fits it became a talking point in the media and amongst some players. The likes of Jules Kounde couldn’t display their love for high fashion before the game.
But the French right back, instead of abandoning his love for fashion, he opted to make his statements after the game, proving that he isn’t one to compromise on his style.
Kounde’s fashion statements and also his eccentric shoot with Jacquemus highlight one thing, the merge between the world of fashion and the world of football is more evident than ever, and it seems as if some pundits and older generation players do not understand the same.
It hints at a larger generational gap within football culture, where younger players are embracing fashion in ways that previous generations may view as distracting.
For players, styling outfits is just one more way to express themselves beyond the pitch, blending the worlds of sport and fashion to create a unique image.
As Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konaté put it, “Once we arrive at the castle (Clairefontaine), we change. We love fashion. It’s a good thing to show people who love fashion and those who love football how we like to dress.”
The developing generation gap in understanding football fashion was highlighted even more after comments from Jerome Rothen and Jean Michel Larque criticised players of the French national side for focusing more on their outfits and drip while arriving at Clairefontaine, rather than focusing on the sport itself.
Former French internationals Jean-Michel Larque and Jerome Rothen voiced their displeasure on RMC Sport’s show, Rothen s’enflamme. Rothen didn’t mince words, calling the scene at Clairefontaine a “monumental circus” and incredulously wondering, “How can Deschamps allow this?”
While co-host Jean-Louis Tourre attempted to brush off the debate as trivial, Larqué pushed back with vigor. “It’s symptomatic of these boys’ concerns,” he declared, criticizing the players’ focus on outfits over professionalism.
Larque went as far as to mock their supposed obsession with “disguises,” implying they care more about fashion than football. It was a cutting indictment of the players’ commitment, and it didn’t go unnoticed by Kounde himself.
It was these very comments that didn’t sit well with fashionista Jules Kounde, who had a sarcastic response to give to the pair online.
His tweet translated into English read, “But finally, gentlemen, you must not get carried away like that over such a small thing. Faced with this abundance of kindness we no longer have a choice…The next meeting is a promise, we will all arrive with tracksuits, crampons on our feet, and not forgetting the parka if it rains, Mr. Larque.”
True to his word, Kounde showed up on Monday for France’s international fixtures against Israel and Italy in a vintage 1992 France team jacket, paired with Adidas Copa Mundial cleats— a perfect reference to his tweet about “crampons” (football cleats in French).
The defender managed to give a response both classy and effective with his outfit.
There is also a need to understand the perspective of both Larque and Rothen, who come from the traditional school of football. There wasn’t any significant influence of the world of fashion in the world of football, it was always about the game itself.
The truth is, as long as players like Kounde continue to deliver strong performances, their style choices shouldn’t bother anyone, as their choices continue to fuel the ever evolving world of football fashion and streetwear.
For Kounde, his 90s jacket wasn’t merely an aesthetic choice; it was a subtle response to critics. It’ll be interesting to see how fashion choices of younger French players evolve as time goes on and how will critics react to some rather eccentric fits.