The ego checker who criticized Hansi Flick arrives.

BarcelonaThiago Alcántara joins Barça and is once again part of Hansi Flick's coaching staff—officially as of this Thursday. After a brief spell last summer, helping the German coach acclimatize to the city and quickly convey his message to the players (Thiago also speaks German), the former Barça player was unable to continue due to bureaucratic issues related to his time in England after being present on the US tour. His position was taken by Arnau Blanco, former coach of the U19 A team, who had previously managed players such as Pau Cubarsí, Lamine Yamal, Jofre Torrents, Marc Bernal, Dro Fernández, and Guille Fernández.

Just over a year later, Thiago and Barça are reuniting. Alcántara will act as a liaison between Flick and the players, with a defined role as technical advisor. The midfielder will also seek to convey his footballing ideas and experience after retiring from the pitch just one season ago. A past that gives him a strong influence over the youngsters who enjoyed him on the pitch. "For a player, it's not the same thing if Thiago tells you something as it is if someone else does," sources familiar with Thiago's talent told ARA. Although his advice will be cross-functional, he will specialize in midfielders.

The former footballer also knows the house and the surroundings very well, which will also help Flick deal with the situations he encounters throughout the season. In this sense, one of Thiago's first tasks will be controlling the "egos" that the German has highlightedAlthough his arrival was made official this Thursday, the new technical advisor and Flick hadn't lost touch since their first (and fruitful) experience together last summer.

The two—Flick and Thiago—have maintained a good relationship since their time at Bayern Munich, where they won the treble together. Talks about a return to the club have been ongoing between the two parties throughout this year. Thiago has never disassociated himself from the Blaugrana club, so his return to Barça is not surprising, with the aim of helping Flick while he decides whether he wants to pursue a coaching career in the future. At the same time, the former player has been pursuing his personal projects, including his investment in CE L'Hospitalet, a club he acquired through Jordi Alba.

Pep Guardiola's on-field brain

Trained in Barça's youth system, Thiago Alcántara played 100 matches for the Catalan side, scoring 11 goals and providing 20 assists. Pep Guardiola has been a key figure in the midfielder's career. The coach from Santpedor gave him his debut on May 17, 2009, at Mallorca, in his first game after winning La Liga. Years later, Guardiola signed Thiago to lead the midfield of a Bayern Munich side that went on to win the treble. It was during this spell in Germany that he met Hansi Flick.

After winning it all again with the Bavarian club, he headed to Liverpool, which was his last experience on the pitch before retiring in July 2024. A football career that, of course, was marked by constant injuries. In April 2014, with Pep Guardiola at Bayern, he suffered a torn medial knee ligament that sidelined him for a year. The knee and hip problems recurred during his time in England, leading to his retirement from playing at the age of 33.