33-year-old confirms joining Barcelona after leaving Liverpool this summer.

Thiago Alcantara, 33, left Liverpool at the end of the season. Barcelona has acknowledged that he is temporarily back on the pitch.

The Spaniard chose to retire from sports after leaving Anfield, and it appears that he has chosen to pursue a career in coaching for the next phase of his life.

In order to “gain experience” before making a longer-term decision, Thiago has joined Hansi Flick’s coaching staff for Barcelona’s pre-season training, the Catalan team announced on Wednesday.

The 33-year-old may decide to stay with the La Liga team for the 2024–2025 season, albeit there is currently no commitment to do so.

Because they shared the 2019–20 Bayern Munich treble, Thiago and Flick have a close bond. The Spaniard’s intelligence would have been evident to the German coach, who probably used that information to lure him to his coaching staff.

Even if Thiago simply plays for the rest of the preseason, this is a wise decision for the 33-year-old so early in his retirement.

What led Thiago to choose retirement?

Even though Thiago was one of the most talented players of his generation, his career was marred by injuries, therefore it is unlikely that he will be recognised with the greats.

The 33-year-old’s decision to retire was perhaps influenced by the fact that he only played five minutes during the 2023–2024 season. The Spaniard might no longer have faith in his physique.

The former Barcelona player may have been content with his career after representing both Liverpool and the Catalan team.

The former midfield player has two Champions League medals in his collection and has won everything in Germany and Spain. Though it’s unclear if he can do the same as a coach, Thiago plans to try in the upcoming years.

More news…….

Specialists from “one of the most successful performance departments in world football” were employed by Liverpool

The public is aware of Liverpool’s well-documented injury problems and feels that something needs to change.

The new lead physical performance coach is anticipated to play a significant role. 22 senior players missed a game for the Reds last season due to injuries; that’s a total of 362 games missed.

It’s a startling figure that is way too high, and it gives Arne Slot and his team a clear indication of where they need to improve.

The club’s medical staff has always performed at the highest calibre, but this summer’s events—including Ruben Peeters’s—have given rise to changes.

He joined the AXA Training Centre as the lead physical performance coach for the first team when Slot left Feyenoord, and he has already started working in his new position.

According to the Athletic, during their three seasons at the Dutch club, player availability exceeded ninety percent – a percentage Liverpool will be hoping to hit.

“One of the most successful medical and performance departments in world football” was attributed to Peeters’ contribution. They added that Slot was always open to hearing what the experts had to say.

The two are renowned for having an excellent eye for detail, with Peeters constantly searching for methods to maximise performance, including food and sleep.

Peeters gave Slot a “meticulous briefing” at Feyenoord regarding the duration of the squad’s daily training sessions. This may not seem groundbreaking, but it does demonstrate his meticulousness.

Hearing from a head coach that he is open to hearing what is being said is always encouraging, and you can be sure that as his internationals return, he will be inundated with reports.

Virgil van Dijk is exhausted from a “very, very, very long year,” as he has already made quite clear, and Peeters and the medical staff will need to give him careful attention.

Liverpool has a pair in Peeters and Slot who are willing to be patient and see the long picture, even though they did not steal Feyenoord’s whole medical and performance crew.

Finding the ideal balance between the new and current employees will take some time and effort during the summer, but the early signals are encouraging.

We’re ready for improvement after missing 670 games overall the prior two seasons due to injuries!