Sergio Busquets makes first move into coaching after leaving Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami to join Barcelona Atletic

Sergio Busquets sent shockwaves through the soccer world when he announced his retirement at the end of last year, leaving a massive void alongside Lionel Messi that Inter Miami have struggled to fill ever since. After taking some time away from the pitch, Busquets has taken the first step toward his coaching career by rejoining FC Barcelona with reserve side Barca Atletic.

Last year, following his retirement announcement after an Inter Miami match against the New England Revolution in October, Busquets was asked in the mixed zone whether he had plans to step into management. “I think in the future, yes, but for now I prefer to take a sabbatical year,” he said at the time, and with a few months of rest under his belt, the Spanish legend has made his move.

On Monday, August 17, Busquets was officially named the new assistant coach at Barca Atletic. He will join the staff of current head coach Juliano Belletti while working to complete his UEFA coaching licenses to earn his senior head coaching badges.

Barca Atletic serve not as La Masia’s youth academy, which handles underage player development, but as FC Barcelona’s official “B team.” The reserve side currently compete in Spain’s Fourth Division, the Segunda Federacion, aiming to climb back after previously residing in the second tier.

Lionel Messi‘s presence played a decisive role in convincing Busquets to make Inter Miami the second club of his 15-year career in 2023 following a legendary tenure in Barcelona colors. This return to the Catalan giants, now on the touchline rather than the pitch, marks the midfielder’s homecoming to the Blaugrana after just three years away.

Busquets served as the tactical engine everywhere he played throughout a career spanning Barcelona, the Spain national team, and Inter Miami, collecting an astounding 37 trophies along the way. Bringing an elite tactical mind and unmatched reading of the game, he will now assist Belletti’s technical staff in developing the club’s next generation.

Another Messi teammate from Barcelona transitions to coaching

Beyond its success on the pitch, Barcelona have long operated as an incubator that revolutionized modern soccer tactics, with Johan Cruyff and Pep Guardiola standing as its most influential figures. That culture has inspired dozens of former Barcelona players to step into management, particularly those who shared the pitch alongside Lionel Messi.

Alongside Busquets, a long list of former teammates who shared the Barcelona locker room with Messi have gone on to join technical staffs or take head coaching roles across the globe:

• Xavi Hernandez.
• Thierry Henry
• Cesc Fabregas
• Rafael Marquez
• Juliano Belletti
• Thiago Motta
• Giovanni van Bronckhorst
• Sylvinho
• Mark van Bommel
• Víctor Valdes
• Gabriel Milito
• Javier Mascherano
• Arda Turan
• Thiago Alcantara
• Yaya Toure
• Henrik Larsson
• Eidur Gudjohnsen