Barcelona has officially announced the departure of Thiago Alcântara from Hansi Flick’s coaching staff, with Arnau Blanco set to replace him.
Alcântara had retired from football at the end of last season and then joined Flick’s coaching staff to serve as a liaison between the manager and the players.
The agreement between Alcântara and Barcelona was from the outset that he would only work with Flick during the summer period, and that he would leave once the season started.
Although everyone was happy working with Alcântara and his significant role in conveying Flick’s ideas to the players was evident, the decision remained unchanged, and the Spanish star opted to leave at the start of the season.
Blanco will replace Alcântara, with the promising coach having worked at Barcelona for the past 11 years with the youth teams, most recently with the Under-16 team.
Barcelona’s La Liga campaign kicks off on Saturday at Mestalla against Valencia, and Flick’s team will then face Bilbao at the Camp Nou next week.
