Thiago Alcantara has ruled out returning to his familiar central midfield abode, but the Spaniard's polyglot skillset may still land him with one of Europe's biggest clubs this summer.
The 33-year-old announced his retirement from soccer on Sunday after four injury-ridden seasons with Liverpool , but earlier this offseason he was linked with former club Barcelona in a curious dual player-interpreter role that was once enjoyed by an iconic former Premier League manager.
According to a report from Spanish publication AS , new Barcelona manager Hansi Flick is interested in luring the La Maisa product back to the Mediterranean coast, searching for a backroom staffer that could help the German communicate in Spanish and Catalan while also making rotational appearances in the first team. This speculation first emerged in May.
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While Thiago now won't be available as a player, his German literacy from a seven-year stint at Bayern Munich may still be attractive to Flick. The report also indicates that aging Spanish stars Marc Bartra and Javi Martinez are being considered for the role as well.
Flick was appointed as manager of FC Barcelona on May 29, bringing his trademark high-energy philosophy to the floundering Catalan club, which finished 10 points behind bitter rivals Real Madrid this past season and has won just a single La Liga title since 2019. However, the German manager could have trouble communicating his distinct instructions early on, still in the process of learning Spanish after completing his entire playing and managerial career in Spain.
The former midfielder played eight Bundesliga seasons between 1985 and 1993 before helping spark TSG Hoffenheim's rapid ascent up the German football pyramid from the sidelines. Later on, Flick overlapped briefly with Thiago at Bayern Munich before suffering a stunning group-stage exit from the 2022 World Cup with Die Manscaft.
Flick may envision Thiago in a similar role to Jose Mourinho , who joined Bobby Robson at Sporting Lisbon in 1992 as a translator and followed the English manager to Porto and eventually FC Barcelona. Mourinho went on to win three Premier League titles at Chelsea , along with two Champions League crowns at Inter Milan and Porto, and Thiago could look to blaze a similar path from the comfort of his childhood club.
Thiago was born to Brazilian parents on the stiletto heel of Italy's famous boot but moved to join Barcelona's legendary academy setup at just 14 years old. The young midfielder joined Barcelona's first team at just 18 years old, displaying enough star power for Bayern Munich to complete a transfer but also highlighting his alarming penchant for injuries.
In his final 12 seasons of professional football, Thiago missed an average of 28 games per season through injury across all competitions, troubled particularly by persistent knee and hip flareups. Thiago's time in Bavaria was quite successful while away from the physio table, however, showcased by a 2018-19 season where the midfielder completed 310 progressive passes, totaled eight goal contributions and led Bayern to its seventh-consecutive Bundesliga title.
But while the serene, veteran ballplayer seemingly offered a perfect counterbalance to Liverpool's high-energy style under Jurgen Klopp upon transferring to Anfield in 2020, another acute bout of injuries limited his impact. From February 2023 to his retirement this summer, Thiago made just five appearances for the Reds, sidelined for 336 days by a debilitating hip injury.
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