Liverpool and Thiago Alcantara parted ways this summer. But if there was any lingering concern that there might be some bad blood after the midfielder was plagued with injuries for his final season and a half in the Premier League , the newly-retired star has laid those worries to rest .
Thiago, 33, caught many by surprise when he retired from the game altogether following the expiry of his Anfield deal. But the fitness woes which have always followed him got worse during his time playing under Jurgen Klopp , and he clearly felt unable to contribute any longer at a high level in a playing capacity.
Hanging up his boots, Thiago immediately dove into the world of coaching. He is currently spending the summer with his previous club Barcelona , helping new coach Hansi Flick (whom he played under at Bayern Munich).
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By all accounts, he is playing a key role at Barcelona, with his language skills and his knowledge of the club hugely valuable as Flick gets his feet under the table. It will be interesting to see what happens at the end of the summer; it seems only a matter of time before Thiago emulates another former Liverpool midfielder, Xabi Alonso , in becoming a head coach.
In his backroom capacity at Barcelona, he has had cause to run into former teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic during pre-season. The two shared the dressing room at the Nou Camp between 2009 and 2011.
Ibrahimovic is now an advisor at Milan, where he retired as a player last year. Barcelona played the Italian side in a friendly, losing on penalties after a 2-2 draw.
Robert Lewandowski scored a brace for Barcelona, but that was cancelled out by goals from Luka Jovic and Christian Pulisic. Jules Kounde and youngster Mikayil Faye both missed spot kicks to hand Milan the victory.
Of more interest to Liverpool, though, is the clip shared on social media by Milan and 433. It captures Ibrahimovic's interactions with a number of Barcelona players and coaches, including Thiago.
In the video, Zlatan can be heard saying "English?" Thiago's response will warm the hearts of Liverpool fans as he replied: "No, no, Scouser."
In something of a gut punch, the next part of the conversation sees Thiago refer to his hip, presumably explaining what caused his retirement from the sport. That had been the most troublesome area for him in his long-term Liverpool layoff.
But the loss to the sport on the pitch is a gain to the world of coaching. There's little doubt that Thiago will excel in this role — and with his fondness for Liverpool clear, perhaps we could see him back at Anfield one day. For now, though, all focus is on how Arne Slot gets on in the hot seat.
Liverpool.com says: Thiago could be forgiven if he didn't feel a massive connection towards Liverpool. He signed in 2020, while pandemic restrictions still affected everyday life in his new surroundings, and then injuries prevented him from making the impact he would have liked on the pitch.
When fit, his class was evident to all, but that was all too rare. And he ultimately departed Anfield without any of the biggest honors.
But it's lovely to see that the club nonetheless holds a special place for him. He is entitled to the status of honorary Scouser for life, and it would be great to see him back at Liverpool in some capacity one day.
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