Thiago Alcantara's next club confirmed as ex-Liverpool star lands new job in retirement

Thiago Alcantara, the former Liverpool midfielder, has joined the coaching staff at Barcelona, his previous club . After a four-year stint at Anfield , which ended last season, Thiago announced his retirement from playing.

The 33-year-old's time with the Reds was marred by injuries, with his last start being 18 months ago. He made only one brief substitute appearance last season before a hamstring issue ended his campaign.

The former Spanish international has now returned to Barcelona, where he began his career as a youth player before moving on to Bayern Munich and then Liverpool. He will be gaining experience as a temporary first-team coach this summer, including during their US tour.

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Thiago will be working under new Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick, who was his manager when Bayern clinched the Champions League in 2020.

During his time at Liverpool, Thiago made 98 appearances, starting 71 times, scoring three goals and assisting six times. He was in the starting line-up for both the FA Cup final victory over Chelsea and the Champions League loss to Real Madrid in 2022.

Posting on Instagram as he announced his retirement , Thiago said: "I will always be willing to give back what I have been given and I am grateful for the time I have enjoyed it.

"Thank you, football. And to all who accompanied me and made me a better player and person along the way. See you soon."

Liverpool.com says: It's good to see Thiago landing a new role so soon after announcing his retirement. He'll have plenty to offer the likes of Pedri, Gavi and Lamine Yamal back at Barcelona.

It's just such a shame that we didn't get to see more of him at Liverpool. On his day, Thiago was one of the most sublime players ever seen at Anfield , and he could have played an even bigger role at the club had injuries not hampered him so much.

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can read the original story in the Liverpool ECHO by clicking here .