Former Barcelona star retires from professional football at the age of 33

Thiago Alcantara is one of the finest geniuses that came through the La Masia academy. Marking his first team debut in 2011 when the Catalan starting lineup consisted of Xavi, Andres Iniesta, and Sergio Busquets in the midfield, Thiago had to leave Barcelona in 2013 for more playing time.

Thiago retires from professional football

His €25M move to Bayern Munich worked wonders. He became a superstar in the Bundesliga with 31 goals and 37 assists across his seven years at the then-reigning German Champions. The magician won sixteen titles at Bayern, including seven Bundesliga and an unbeaten Champions League run in 2019/20, including a masterclass campaign from Thiago Alcantara.

The box-to-box playmaker was included in the UEFA Team of the Year and FIFPro World XI 2020 for his heroics in the 2019/20 season. Subsequently, he concluded his seven-year stay in Munich by moving to Liverpool in 2020 for €30M.

After spending four years at the Merseyside club, Thiago has confirmed his decision to retire from football. As quoted by Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano,

""Thiago Alcantara has decided to retire from professional football.
Former Barça, Bayern, Liverpool and Spain player has made his decision.
Thiago’s passion and love for the game continue as he’s ready for a new chapter in football after a few months of planning for it"."

- Fabrizio Romano(via Twitter)

Taking to social media, Thiago explained his decision, saying,

""Thank you, football. And to all who accompanied me and made me a better player and person along the way. ""

- Thiago(via Twitter)

Thiago's new role in Football

From the midfielder's message, it is somewhat clear that the two-time Champions League winner wants to move towards management. Also, Fabrizio reported that Thiago is looking for a new chapter in football, which points again to the 33-year-old moving to a managerial role.

From Barcelona's point of view, this could be Thiago's homecoming in a new role at the club. For instance, Diario reported in May that Thiago may become Hansi Flick's assistant at Barcelona.

This option makes sense as Thiago is well-versed with La Masia and Hansi Flick, in addition to being aware of the club from the inside out. Hence, he could provide the perfect assistance needed for Flick as he looks to start his Barcelona career on a high and help the club return to their glorious times again.