Hansi Flick gets his man: Former Barcelona star to take up coaching role | OneFootball

An ex-member of the midfield ranks at La Liga giants Barcelona has agreed to return to the club in a coaching role this summer.

The player in question? Thiago Alcântara.

The name of Spaniard Thiago has of course taken its place front and centre in the headlines in Catalunya’s capital across the week to date.

This comes after word was forthcoming that new Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick had set his sights on the 33-year-old as a leading target to reinforce his staff.

Thiago, for his part, announced his retirement from the game earlier this week, with Flick a keen fan of the tactical acumen boasted by the former Liverpool and Bayern Munich standout.

Negotiations between the parties over a joining of forces this summer, in turn, were recently kicked into gear.

And, as alluded to above, such talks evidently proved to be productive.

As per a report from Diario Sport:

‘Thiago has given Flick the ‘OK’ to give him a hand, at least during his first months in the job.’

It remains to be defined exactly what Thiago’s role in the Barcelona setup will be, but the midfield maestro’s Camp Nou return is considered all but imminent, with it concluded that:

‘Although it will probably be for a short period of time, Thiago is returning ‘home’ 11 years after having left.’

Conor Laird | GSFN