After four seasons at Liverpool, 33-year-old midfielder Thiago Alcantara became a free agent on 30 June when his contract expired, and amidst speculation about his departure, he announced his retirement from football. His camp has confirmed the decision to The Athletic.
Thiago Alcántara is the son of former Brazilian midfielder Mazinho and is also known as the older brother of Rafinha, who played for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. He started his career at Barcelona before spending seven years at Bayern Munich before moving to Anfield.
The former Spanish midfielder is still good enough to play at the top level, but he was plagued by injuries throughout last season and only played five minutes in the Premier League. Since moving to England, he has been injury-prone and has only started 98 games despite being with the club since 2020.
Nevertheless, his magical passing and precise pressing in the games he did get on the pitch helped Liverpool’s midfield and added a new essence to Jurgen Klopp’s regime.
He has made 46 appearances for Spain since his debut in 2011. He scored 11 goals and 20 assists in 100 games and 31 goals and 37 assists in 235 games for Barcelona and Bayern Munich respectively. One of the best midfielders in the world, he won the Champions League twice in his life.
Thiago Alcántara decides to retire from football with his departure from Liverpool
Career