Image Credits: Imago Images
Former Liverpool man Thiago Alcantara has left his role on Hansi Flick’s Barcelona staff, with Paul Joyce now providing an update on the rumoured links to Liverpool.
Thiago returned to Barcelona as part of Hansi Flick’s backroom team in September 2025. It marked his first step into frontline coaching after retiring from playing in 2024, and came with plenty of intrigue on Merseyside given his recent spell at Liverpool.
However, Flick confirmed in May that Thiago would leave the staff at the end of the 2025‑26 season, revealing that the former Spain international “has his own plans” and is ready to move on after just one campaign back at Camp Nou.
Part of those “plans” involves devoting more time to CE L’Hospitalet, the historic Catalan club in Spain’s lower divisions in which Thiago holds a boardroom role. L’Hospitalet currently compete in the Tercera Federación, the country’s fifth tier, and Thiago helps oversee the club’s sporting direction alongside former Barcelona and Spain teammate Jordi Alba.
Given Thiago’s exit from Barca, it was no surprise that speculation quickly surfaced in Spain suggesting he could join Andoni Iraola’s incoming staff at Liverpool.
With the Reds in advanced talks to appoint Iraola as head coach following Arne Slot’s departure, reports in Spain floated the idea of an ex‑player being added to a new‑look backroom team.
However, Paul Joyce of the Times has however played down the online speculation, reporting:
“Liverpool have said no approaches have been made to any other individuals about joining a new-look backroom staff despite links to Thiago, who has recently left Barcelona.”
In other words, while the idea of Thiago stepping back through the door at Kirkby is an appealing one for supporters, it remains strictly in the realm of speculation for now rather than something being actively put in place by the club hierarchy.
For Liverpool, the priority is finalising Iraola’s appointment and allowing the new boss to shape his set‑up in his own time. Thiago appears content, at least for the moment, to focus on family life and his ambitious L’Hospitalet project back in Catalonia.