Former Barcelona midfielder, Thiago Alcantara, has officially returned to the club, this time not as a player but as part of Hansi Flick’s backroom staff.
Naija News reports that the former Spain international, who retired from professional football earlier this year, took charge of his first session on Thursday, working on the grass with the first team as an assistant coach.
According to the club in an official statement on its website, Thiago’s responsibilities will include assisting with tactical preparations, helping with training sessions, and providing his “experience and vision of the game” to enrich daily squad activities.
It marks a symbolic homecoming for the 33-year-old, who came through Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy before leaving for Bayern Munich in 2013.
Full Squad Returns
Thiago’s first day coincided with the return of Barcelona’s international players following the September break. Marcus Rashford, Jules Kounde, Raphinha, Andreas Christensen, Ronald Araújo, and teenage sensation Roony Bardghji all rejoined the squad on Thursday.
Raphinha and Araújo, the last to arrive, were placed on specific recovery sessions before joining group training.
Development team players Dro, Toni, and Jofre were also drafted into the session. Frenkie de Jong, Alejandro Balde, and Gavi trained separately, with De Jong partially taking part on the pitch as he continues his recovery.
With the squad now complete, Hansi Flick and his team will turn their attention to Sunday’s La Liga clash against Valencia at Camp Nou — Barcelona’s first home game of the season.
Naija News reports that the Catalans are under pressure to deliver after being held to a frustrating draw away to Rayo Vallecano last weekend. Flick still has two more sessions, scheduled for Friday and Saturday, to fine-tune tactics.
Club insiders say the priority will be to “get back to winning ways in front of the fans” and set the tone for what promises to be a competitive campaign.
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