The Barcelona defender’s reply came after yet another message in his Snapchat inbox demanding he stick to French.

“Stop trying to make us English speakers,” one follower wrote to him, according to goal.com’s coverage of the exchange.

Koundé did not try to smooth it over. He told his audience that he receives messages like that often and that it was time for the French to stop feeling offended or developing an inferiority complex towards people who speak English.

Why he keeps posting in English

He then explained the reasoning behind it. English, he argued, is the most widespread language in the world and dominates the industries he cares about, singling out cinema, music and business. He said he had made the effort to learn it and that he enjoys using it.

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He left no room for compromise with his critics.

“So I’ll keep alternating between French, English and Spanish too. You just have to deal with it,” he wrote.

A row he picked at an awkward moment

The exchange arrives at a thin stretch of Koundé’s career. He has lost his starting spot at right-back to Eric García under Hansi Flick this season and has played just 261 minutes across La Liga and the Champions League, goal.com reported, with his contract running until 2030 and no public interest from him in leaving.

National-team life has not been easier. Zinedine Zidane, confirmed as Didier Deschamps’ successor last July on a deal through the 2030 World Cup, has told the France squad that every place has to be re-earned, and Koundé watched the recent fixtures against Belgium and Italy from the bench.

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