Former Barcelona midfielder already at training facilities ahead of return to Flick’s staff | OneFootball

As reported last week, former Barcelona and Spain midfielder Thiago Alcantara is set to return to the club as part of Hansi Flick’s coaching staff.

The former La Masia graduate served as part of Flick’s staff with the Catalans briefly last year, helping the German tactician ease into things at the club after taking over the reins.

Rumours of a return have been doing the rounds for quite some time now, and an agreement has finally been reached for Thiago to come back.

Thiago already at the club’s training facilities

In fact, Mundo Deportivo now reports that Thiago was already present this morning at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper. He was not involved on the pitch with the players, but did attend internal meetings.

Back at Barcelona. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

Thiago’s return is taking place at the express request of Flick. The Barcelona manager holds him in high regard after their time together at Bayern Munich, when he led the Bavarians to a historic sextuple.

After a short initial stint assisting Flick last summer, Thiago left Barcelona and spent time in Liverpool, where he continued to reside.

Now back in the city, he will take on a dual role at Barcelona: providing support to Flick and acting as a mentor to the squad’s younger players.

The former midfielder’s technical quality, deep knowledge of Barça’s style and of Flick’s methods, as well as his strong communication skills, make him an ideal addition to the coaching setup.