Speaking in Friday’s press conference, Bayern Munich head coach Hansi Flick dismissed some of the criticism that has been aimed at Spanish midfielder Thiago Alcantara.
The 29-year-old has been an influential player for the German champions over the past seven years and during this period, he has racked 230 appearances for the club across all competitions.
In a recent podcast on Sky Germany, club legend Lothar Matthaus happened to indicate that Alcantara has not impressed in the big games for the Bavarian giants and he won’t be overly concerned if the Spaniard leaves the club this summer.
However, speaking ahead of the Wolfsburg game on Saturday, Flick has defended Alcantara by stating that he is an ‘extraordinary player’, who adds quality to the Bayern midfield.
“There always are so-called experts who have their own opinion… If you see him every day, see what extraordinary quality he has, for me there can be no two opinions about his quality. He is an extraordinary player who gives a team that certain something. That’s my opinion — and I think that there is no other,” He told.
Alcantara has managed to avoid any long-term injuries since the 2014/15 season, but he has still sustained minor niggles which have kept him out of action at different stages of every season.
Since the Bundesliga restart, Alcantara has missed six league games for Bayern through a groin injury and earlier this month, Flick confirmed that the midfielder had undergone a surgery to overcome the nagging problem.
The Spaniard is unlikely to play any part in the club’s ultimate game of the Bundesliga campaign against Wolfsburg tomorrow, but Flick remains hopeful that he would be available for the DFB-Pokal Cup final against Bayer Leverkusen on July 4.
When asked about the midfielder’s availability for the Cup final, Flick told: “The plan is that he’s there”. The former Barcelona graduate will also have a key role to play for the club when their Champions League resumes in August after the COVID-19 break.
His current contract with the German champions expires in the summer of 2021, and it remains to be seen whether he puts pen-to-paper on a new long-term deal. Otherwise, he could be heading for the exit door when the transfer window reopens.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
