FC Barcelona officially announced on Thursday the addition of Thiago Alcântara to its coaching staff. The former player, who wore the Blaugrana shirt at the start of his career, now returns to the club as an assistant to head coach Hansi Flick, bringing his knowledge and experience to a squad in the midst of consolidation.

A return with a new role

Thiago, who played for Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Liverpool, had already been working alongside the team during the opening weeks of last season as one of Flick’s trusted aides. Now, his role will be official and permanent, contributing to tactical preparation, training design, and other tasks related to the development of the first team.

His first session as a member of the coaching staff took place this Thursday at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, where he worked directly with the squad. The club emphasized that his arrival aims to enrich the team’s daily work with the perspective of a footballer who excelled at the highest level in Europe and knows Barcelona’s philosophy inside out.

A Barça in full preparation

The training session also saw the return of internationals Marcus Rashford, Jules Koundé, Raphinha, Andreas Christensen, Ronald Araújo, and Roony Bardghji, who rejoined the first-team dynamic after their national team duties. Araújo and Raphinha underwent specific recovery work, while Frenkie de Jong continues with a more cautious process due to a minor muscle injury.

The session also included several youngsters from the reserve team, such as Pedro “Dro” Fernández, Toni Fernández, and Jofre Torrents, reaffirming Flick’s commitment to integrating academy players into the first-team setup.

Barcelona will continue with two more training sessions, on Friday and Saturday, before facing Valencia on Sunday at the Estadi Johan Cruyff, a match where they will look to maintain their strong start to the LaLiga season.