Former Barcelona midfielder Thiago Alcantara has officially returned to the club, this time taking a place on Hansi Flick’s backroom staff as an assistant coach. The move marks a symbolic homecoming for the 33-year-old, a product of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, who retired from professional football earlier this year.
Thiago took charge of his first training session on Thursday, working directly on the grass with the first team. The club, in an official statement, confirmed that his new responsibilities will include assisting with tactical preparations, helping with training sessions, and bringing his “experience and vision of the game” to the daily squad activities.
His first day on the job coincided with the return of several of Barcelona’s international players following the recent September break. The squad was bolstered by the return of Marcus Rashford, Jules Kounde, Raphinha, Andreas Christensen, Ronald Araújo, and teenage sensation Roony Bardghji. Raphinha and Araújo, who were the last to arrive, began with specific recovery sessions before joining the group. Development team players Dro, Toni, and Jofre were also drafted into the session.
Meanwhile, Frenkie de Jong, Alejandro Balde, and Gavi trained separately as they continue their recovery from injuries, with De Jong partially participating on the pitch.
With the squad now complete, Hansi Flick and his staff are turning their full attention to the upcoming La Liga clash against Valencia at Camp Nou on Sunday. The match will be the first home game of the season for Barcelona, who are under pressure to deliver a victory after a frustrating draw away to Rayo Vallecano last weekend. With two more sessions scheduled for Friday and Saturday, the team is focused on fine-tuning tactics to get back to winning ways in front of their home fans and set a positive tone for the rest of the campaign.
