Midfielder Thiago Alcantara announced his retirement from football earlier today. The former Liverpool FC, Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona star endured a very injury-riddled stint at Anfield, and he spent a lot more time on the inactive list than he did on the pitch.
However, Merseyside club supporters never really got to see the true Thiago, the legit midfield maestro that was so often a key part of trophy winning teams.
Champions League ??
La Liga ????
Copa del Rey ?
Supercopa de España ?
UEFA Super Cup ?
Club World Cup ??
Bundesliga ???????
DFB-Pokal ????
DFL-Supercup ??
FA Cup ?Thiago Alcântara is retiring from football after an incredible career, per @FabrizioRomano pic.twitter.com/GCisiiFEio
— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 7, 2024
Take a look at the tweet above, and all the silverware that it lists out.
Thiago has winners medals for two Champions Leagues, seven Bundesligas and and four La Ligas. And before hanging up his boots, he got an offer from new Barcelona manager Hansi Flick to be on his backroom staff.
Flick, according to a report in Spanish publication AS, wanted a player-translator on the club who could help the German communicate in Spanish and Catalan while also being a squad player.
Obviously that is not going to happen now, as his playing days are over. However, according to an update from transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Thiago will now go on sabbatical in the short term, but will stay in the game for the long term.
“Thiago will remain in football,” Romano said on his YouTube channel.
“For now, he will take some time to relax, think about the next step. Start to plan for the next chapter and he will stay in the football world but not as a player.”
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.