According to football transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano via his official X handle, says Alcantara will rejoin his old club in coaching capacity. He said:
Thiago Alcantara has decided to return as part of Hansi Flick’s staff at Barcelona.
Understand he might be back already from next week if all goes to plan, but the agreement is 100% done.
Decision made and comeback imminent, as @AdriaAlbets reported.
The 34-year-old is the son of the Brazilian former footballer and 1994 World Cup winner Mazinho. His mother, Valéria Alcântara, was a former Brazilian volleyball player. His younger brother, Rafinha, plays for Al-Arabi SC and the Brazil national team. Rodrigo, who also played for Spain, is a lifelong friend and not a cousin as has been erroneously reported.
On 27 June 2015, he married his girlfriend, Júlia Vigas, in a ceremony in Sant Climent de Peralta, Catalonia, Spain.
During his playing career, Thiago was a highly creative and technically gifted playmaker, with excellent dribbling skills and ball control, which allowed him to operate effectively in a deep-seated playmaking role as a central midfielder, although he was also capable of playing in a more advanced role as an attacking midfielder.
Called “an extraordinary player” by Xavi in 2013, Thiago was noted for his accurate distribution of the ball, as he possessed great passing technique and vision, and maintained a 90.2% pass success rate throughout the 2016–17 Bundesliga season, higher than any other player in Germany.
Thiago was identified by Neymar on a potential list of the five players he believed may have been more technical than him. Despite his reputation as a world class midfielder in the media, Thiago often struggled with injuries throughout his career.
Alcantara is likely to be on the bench alongside Flick when Barcelona host Valencia after the international break.
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