Barcelona Copa del Rey hero joins elite list of club icons after heroics vs Real Madrid | OneFootball

Jules Kounde became the hero for FC Barcelona as they secured the Copa del Rey title thanks to a 3-2 win over Real Madrid in the final.

With the game poised at 2-2, Kounde sprinted like a bolt to intercept a pass to Brahim Diaz and fired up a precision strike that left Thibaut Courtois completely bamboozled in the 116th minute of the game.

That strike was enough to seal the winner for Barcelona while Kounde himself joined a list of elite Barcelona defenders who have stepped up for the club in the past, reports Mundo Deportivo.

Kounde joins an elite pack

Throughout Barça’s history, defenders have often provided iconic moments when least expected.

Back in 1988, it was Jose Ramon Alexanko who poked home the winner against Real Sociedad to deliver a vital Copa del Rey title in a tough season.

A year later, Luis Maria Lopez Rekarte sealed a famous Cup Winners’ Cup triumph against Sampdoria with a late goal in Bern.

Jules Kounde’s late strike helped Barcelona seal the Copa Del Rey. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

Then came perhaps the most famous defender’s goal in Barça history: Ronald Koeman’s thunderous free-kick in extra time of the 1992 European Cup final, giving the club their first-ever continental crown.

Years later, in 2006, Juliano Belletti, the current Juvenil A manager, scored the unforgettable winner against Arsenal in the Champions League final – a goal that remains his only strike for Barça.

Apart from these individuals, even Yaya Toure – a midfielder who was playing in defence – scored in a Copa del Rey final against Athletic Club in 2009. His strike enabled Barcelona to carry on and seal a historic treble.

Kounde, now, became the latest entrant to this legendary list – a goal that may even define his spell at Barcelona so far.

Kounde’s late strike and overall heroics in the game again showed why he has been a permanent fixture in the team under Hansi Flick this season and why Barcelona are eager to extend his contract.