Thiago Alcantara says Liverpool’s passion beat Barcelona and Bayern
Thiago Alcantara, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich midfielder who retired at the English club Liverpool in the summer of 2024, reflected that the passion of Anfield’s supporters was unmatched. He made 98 appearances for Liverpool, scoring three goals and providing six assists despite injury setbacks.
A rare double of Barcelona and Bayern
Only nine past and present footballers have pulled on both Barcelona and Bayern Munich shirts, the latest being Robert Lewandowski. The Polish striker spent eight years at Bayern before joining Barcelona in the summer of 2022, winning titles at both clubs. That elite group shows how European giants such as Barcelona and Bayern, based in Munich, rarely share players.
Liverpool’s passion left a lasting mark
Thiago fell in love with Liverpool’s city and its club, stunned by the Kop’s loyalty. “It’s a worker city and we mention a lot to everybody that asks me about Liverpool, why the crowd or the fans are with the team,” he told the Beyond the Persona podcast. “I say that it’s because it’s not about winning or losing, it’s about giving your all while you’re on the pitch. Having this sense of team as well, that was the main thing. It’s the only big team I’ve seen that doesn’t act cocky like a big team, it acts like ‘OK, we have to [earn] it’, everything’. [Those are] the values they run over there.” I’m often asked why the English club felt different, and he gave a clear answer: the show of loyalty at Anfield was special.
Barcelona memories of a historic season
Reflecting on his time in Catalonia, Thiago recalled the 2012/13 campaign: “At Barcelona we won all the home games, reached 100 points and beat Madrid for the first time winning the league against them here. So that day was insane, in terms of numbers, it was insane. There is a parade the next day, people are on the streets, 700,000 people, and it was great.” He noted that playing for Barcelona had given him a platform to win trophies, yet the feeling of playing for Liverpool remained unparalleled.
The Champions League final heartbreak and Liverpool’s response
He described the day after losing the Champions League final to Madrid as “unmatchable”. “We lost and we were all sad, hopeless, then suddenly the exchange of energy was unbelievable,” he said, highlighting how the English crowd turned sorrow into collective hope.
Retirement and return to Barcelona
Thiago retired while at Anfield in the summer of 2024, after 98 appearances, three goals and six assists. He has since returned to Barcelona as an assistant to Hansi Flick, continuing his involvement with the club that shaped his early career.
Other stars praise English football
Before returning to Barcelona, Cesc Fabregas explained why he preferred Premier League football: “I feel closer to the Premier League because it’s very passionate, fast, direct and vibrant and it’s the football that I like.” Pep Guardiola added in 2018 that “the badness and cruelty that there is in the press in Spain doesn’t exist in England or Germany.” These comments underline that many players value the English experience as highly as their time in Europe.