has
called
time
on
his
career
/
Matthew
Ashton
–
AMA/GettyImages
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Former
Bayern
Munich
and
Liverpool
midfielder
Thiago
Alcantara
is
expected
to
announce
his
retirement,
marking
the
end
of
a
distinguished
playing
career.
The
33-year-old
left
Liverpool
at
the
end
of
June
after
his
contract
expired,
and
was
anticipated
to
be
a
prime
transfer
target
for
the
Saudi
Pro
League.
However,
according
to
Fabrizio
Romano,
Thiago
has
opted
to
retire
from
professional
football
and
embark
on
a
‘new
chapter
in
football.’
Thiago’s
retirement
concludes
a
career
spanning
488
senior
club
games
and
46
appearances
for
the
Spanish
national
team.
His
career
was
frequently
hampered
by
injuries,
causing
him
to
miss
an
estimated
364
matches.
Despite
these
setbacks,
when
fit,
Thiago
was
consistently
among
the
world’s
elite
midfielders.
Mohammed
Kudus
expresses
admiration
for
Liverpool
star
Thiago
Alcantara
Born
in
Italy
to
former
Brazil
international
Mazinho,
Thiago
grew
up
in
Brazil
but
also
spent
significant
time
in
Spain,
where
he
joined
Barcelona’s
youth
ranks
in
2005.
He
made
his
first-team
debut
in
2009
under
Pep
Guardiola
and
was
quickly
hailed
as
a
future
star,
drawing
comparisons
to
Andres
Iniesta.
In
2013,
Thiago
reunited
with
Guardiola
at
Bayern
Munich,
where
he
spent
seven
successful
years,
capped
by
Champions
League
glory
in
2020.
He
then
joined
Liverpool,
playing
under
Jurgen
Klopp.
Thiago
represented
Spain
in
three
major
tournaments,
though
he
did
not
win
any
international
trophies.
Nevertheless,
he
amassed
an
impressive
27
club
trophies
throughout
his
career.
Thiago’s
final
season
as
a
professional
was
marred
by
injuries,
limiting
him
to
just
five
minutes
of
play,
coming
on
as
a
late
substitute
in
Liverpool’s
3-1
loss
at
Arsenal.
Thiago’s
retirement
will
be
a
significant
moment
in
football,
closing
the
chapter
on
the
career
of
a
player
renowned
for
his
dribbling
and
precision
passing.