Ever since Hansi Flick was appointed Barcelona’s new head coach, there have been concerns over his inability to converse in Spanish. The ex-Bayern Munich coach is proficient in German and English and to his credit, he has been learning Spanish ever since he has been linked with this job.
Yet, to make the integration seamless, the presence of someone who understands the club well and can converse in German and Spanish seemed necessary. As fate may have it, ex-La Masia graduate Thiago Alcantara retired from professional football and fit this bill perfectly.
Thiago has been with Hansi Flick’s coaching staff for a few days now and has been spotted in training videos. However, his role in an official capacity had not been clarified until today, leaving fans in suspense.
Barcelona have now made an official statement that reads:
“Having recently called time on his playing career at the age of 33, Thiago Alcántara is set to spend the coming weeks as part of Hansi Flick’s staff in order to train as a coach.”
“The former player is expected to remain with the men’s football first team squad for the entire summer, and therefore, will be on the US tour.”
The 33-year-old ex-Barcelona midfielder has worked under Hansi Flick during the German coach’s tenure in charge of Bayern Munich and has a good working relationship with him. As he transitions from playing to non-playing role, he is hoping to learn from the guidance of his ex-coach.
For now, the statement indicates that Thiago will be a part of the coaching staff on a short-term basis, until the end of the pre-season, with the US tour being mentioned whilst he gains experience as a coach.
This is a mutually beneficial arrangement for both the former player and the club. Thiago can make Flick’s integration at Barcelona seamless with the players by acting as the conduit whilst gaining valuable experience for his future. It remains to be seen if the club negotiate with Thiago and extend his stay at the club beyond the aforementioned tenure.
