Thiago Alcantara officially makes return to club
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Image Credits: Imago ImagesLiverpool bid farewell to one of their most gifted midfielders, Thiago Alcantara, at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.
After joining from Bayern Munich in 2020, the Spaniard consistently showed he was among the world’s elite midfielders whenever he stepped onto the pitch.
Unfortunately, injuries hampered his time at Anfield, with persistent hip and muscle problems limiting his appearances in his final two seasons.
His 2021/22 season was by far the best under Jurgen Klopp and helped propel the Reds to what they achieved that season.
When fit, Thiago demonstrated why he is considered one of the best midfielders of his generation.
But there was not just enough of those times in a Liverpool shirt at the end, and one 5-minute cameo against Arsenal in his final campaign meant that the Spaniard called time on his career at the end of the 2023/24 season.
The 34-year-old spent a stint as a short-term coach with Hansi Flick and Barcelona last summer, where he helped his former manager acclimatise in Barcelona.
It was a temporary post for the former Barcelona man, who then spent time away from football to figure out what he wants in life.
And it appears the allure of football is just too strong for the Spaniard.
FC Barcelona have officially announced that Thiago has made a return to Flick’s coaching setup , with the former Liverpool man starting his first day this Thursday:
“First official day on the job for Thiago Alcantara as a member of the coaching staff,” read a Barcelona statement
“The former blaugrana player started work on the grass today as a member of the first team coaching staff as an assistant coach to Hansi Flick.”
“His role will involve helping with tactical aspects and preparing training sessions, among other things, bringing his experience and vision of the game to enrich the squad’s day to day work.”
Hansi Flick and Thiago Alcantara share a strong bond that dates back to their time together at Bayern Munich, where Thiago played under Flick’s management.
The duo celebrated winning the Champions League in their remarkable sextuple 2019-20 season, with Thiago the heartbeat of that Bayern side.
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