Ex-Bayern star Thiago ends great career
"Thiago or nothing", Pep Guardiola made it clear to FC Bayern in the past and shows the significant role Thiago Alcantara plays beyond just for him. The former Bayern star Thiago Alcantara is retiring from football. This was reported by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano at X, who was later confirmed by Thiago's Brazilian colleague Josue Seixas, citing a team member of the footballer. Thiago reportedly intends to take a few months off before starting a new chapter in football. The 33-year-old midfielder was under contract with Liverpool in the last season but had been battling injuries. In the last season, he made only a five-minute appearance in the Premier League in early February.
For Munich, Thiago played a total of 235 official games (31 goals, 37 assists) between 2013 and 2020. Besides seven German championships and four DFB Pokal titles, he won the Champions League under Hansi Flick in 2020. The most significant European club competition, he had already won with FC Barcelona in 2011.
Thiago gained cult status in Munich due to a quote from the former Bayern coach Pep Guardiola in 2013, who, regarding the club's transfer strategy, demanded: "Thiago or nothing." The Bayern eventually signed the technical midfielder for €25 million.
According to the Spanish sports newspaper "AS," Thiago was "the first player Barcelona approached as an assistant to Hansi Flick." Flick has been training the Spanish vice-champion since this season. A return to the Spanish LaLiga was even discussed earlier, "with Celta Vigo, the club of his father Mazinho or his brother Rafinha, being a candidate for Thiago's last dance as a Spanish midfielder," writes "AS." Now it seems things are turning out differently. A move to Brazil also appears possible: Thiago's parents are Brazilian, and his father Mazinho was a member of the Brazilian national team that won the 1994 World Cup. Thiago himself played in the youth for Flamengo in Rio de Janeiro for several years.
With the Spanish national team, Thiago's career remains incomplete: Thiago missed the Euro triumph in 2012 due to injury, having played in the qualifiers. Four years later and at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Thiago was eliminated in the round of 16. In the Euro 2021, where Spain lost dramatically in the semifinals in a penalty shootout against the later world champion Italy, Thiago was only a part-time player. Thiago's elimination in the penalty shootout was the last of his 46 international appearances.
Jürgen Klopp, who accompanied Thiago on the last leg of his career at Liverpool, bid him farewell with great words: "I know that injuries were a disappointment for him and for us, but the level he played at when he was available was incredible. I will remember that. Now he will embark on a new journey with his family, and we can only wish them all the best." Thiago is "an artist of the game, who always paints the most beautiful pictures."
Pep Guardiola's insistence on signing Thiago Alcantara, dubbed as "Thiago or nothing," during his tenure at FC Bayern Munich, underscores the midfielder's considerable influence on the club beyond just being a player. Prior to joining Bayern, Thiago Guardiola had also been considered as a potential assistant coach for Hansi Flick at FC Barcelona, showing his versatility in the world of soccer.
