There had been much speculation in recent days, and this Wednesday it was confirmed. It is now official that Thiago Alcántara is returning to Barcelona.

The former youth academy player retired from football just over a week ago and will now train as a coach alongside Hansi Flick, as announced by the club in a statement.

At 33 years old, after a successful career that took him to Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Liverpool, Thiago is now taking his first steps as a coach, and he's doing it at home.

For now, according to Mundo Deportivo, he will spend the entire summer on Hansi Flick's staff with Barcelona's first team. He will participate in Barcelona's tour of the United States, where they will face Manchester City, Real Madrid, and AC Milan.

It remains to be seen what his involvement will be beyond the summer and whether he will remain part of the staff once this training period is over.