Former Germany defender Jerome Boateng is currently training with Barcelona as he seeks to complete his coaching internship as part of the requirements to secure a coaching license.

The former forward of Austrian side LASK announced his retirement from football in about two months ago saying he feels ready to stop playing, not because he has to. Following this, he has begun a journey to attain practical coaching skills as he eyes a coaching role after his professional football career.

He joins Barcelona after his internship with his former club, Bayern was abruptly terminated even before he could start following fan protests over his legal history of domestic abuse of his former wife and other partners.

Barcelona officially acknowledged Boateng’s presence via their social media channels, posting a video of his arrival with the message: "Welcome to the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, Jerome Boateng!" The Catalan club have opened their doors to the 2014 World Cup winner to allow him to observe training sessions under Flick, whom he worked with successfully during treble-winning campaigns at Bayern and with the Germany national team.

A Report from Sport.es indicates that Boateng is expected to spend several days using the club's facilities as he navigates the next steps in his post-playing career.

About Boateng’s terminated internship with Bayern

This comes after the club announced the revocation of the former player's opportunity to intern, following protests from fans over Jerome’s conviction on July 19, 2024, by a Munich regional court of premeditated bodily harm against his former partner during a violent altercation during a Caribbean vacation in 2018.

Jerome’s ex-partner, the mother of his children, accused him of throwing a lamp at her, which missed, after which he followed with a small box that injured her arm.

Consequently, following head coach Vincent Kompany’s announcement of having Boateng join the German champions for “an internship for a few weeks” during a press conference in September, after Jerome’s official announcement of his retirement from football, fans have brutally protested, particularly on Saturday, October 19, 2025, during Bayern’s home match against Borussia Dortmund at the Allianz Arena in Munich.

Some fans in the Südkurve (South Stand) displayed a large banner reading: “Whoever gives the offender space shares his guilt, f*** off, Boateng!”. One banner displayed by ultras read: “Draw the line against misogynistic violence”, while another stated: “No place for villains in our club, no more space for Boateng,” alongside explicit chants telling the former defender to leave. Consequently, Bayern management made the decision to halt the internship programme for their former player in response to the hostile reaction.

In July 2024, a Munich court issued a final ruling in a long-running case concerning assault against his ex-partner and mother of his twin daughters, Sherin Senler.

The protests were part of a broader backlash, including an online petition and widespread criticism on social media.

Kompany, during a post-match interview, was asked about the club’s decision regarding the former player’s internship offer, but dodged the question.

He said, “Nice try. Let’s first talk about the game. Only the sporting side is important today.” However, Bayern later released a statement announcing that the offer to intern with the club had been suspended temporarily.

he statement read: “In a constructive exchange between FC Bayern and Jerome Boateng this week, it was decided that Jerome Boateng will not intern at FC Bayern. Jerome feels very connected to FC Bayern and does not want FC Bayern to suffer damage due to the current controversial discussion surrounding his person.”

The club’s CEO, Jan-Christian Dreesen, speaking during a media engagement, described Jerome’s case as“a complicated” one, citing the need to grant people in such cases rehabilitation.

“I believe that every person is entitled to rehabilitation. The verdict should be considered in its entirety. Again, we have no employment relationship with Jerome. Jerome has been a long-time player with us and has won many titles with us. And if there is an agreement for him to watch some training sessions, as is the case as a coach, then that’s absolutely fine,” he said.

Jerome, on the other hand, took to his official Instagram page, where he expressed his appreciation to the club, Kompany and the fans as well. He mentioned he had decided to focus and getting a coaching licences and other important matters.

It read: “Dear FC Bayern, dear Vincent: after the recent discussions about my person, I have decided to focus on my subjects – the A license, RYZR, and Arena2. That’s currently my focus, and your full focus should solely be on the pitch – and the goal of continuing this impressive streak of 13 consecutive wins.

“I’m very grateful to the club’s management and to you, dear Vincent, for the trust and the opportunity to be a part of it. I wholeheartedly wish… that you achieve your big goals by the end of the season. I also want to sincerely thank the many fans for the numerous messages and their support.”

In addition to playing over 200 games for Bayern, Boateng also represented Hertha Berlin, Hamburg and Manchester City, and made 76 appearances for Germany, with whom he won the 2014 World Cup.

Meanwhile, Ghana's Thomas Partey is currently embroiled in a legal tussle regarding sexual misconduct.

The Ghanaian international's legal woes just four days after he departed from Arsenal. He is currently facing six serious criminal charges in the UK. The charges were formally presented at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on August 5. These charges have been levelled against him by three different women.

In one of the charges, Complainant 1 claims that, between April and May 2021, Partey penetrated her anally during what began as consensual vaginal intercourse, without her consent. She further claims that between April and June 2021, Partey engaged her in anal sex on on at least four separate occasions without her consent.

Complainant 2 also alleges that in December 2021, after she refused to engage in sexual activity, Partey raped her vaginally. She also claims that in February 2022, he penetrated her anally after she explicitly declined anal sex. A third allegation from Complainant 2 states that during a trip to Marbella, Spain, in June 2022, Partey raped her vaginally.

Complainant 3 also claims that in February 2022, Partey lay on top of her, attempted to kiss her, and touched her over her clothes without her consent.

However, the player has denied all the allegations levelled against him. His lawyer has denied the charges of rape and sexual assault against her client.

The statement issued by Partey's lawyer, Jenny Wiltshire, noted:“Thomas Partey denies all the charges against him. He has fully cooperated with the police and CPS throughout their three-year investigation. He now welcomes the opportunity to finally clear his name."

The lawyer noted that as legal proceedings are ongoing, her client will not make any further comment on the matter. Under UK law, rape and sexual assault are prosecuted under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, which sets out clear definitions and penalties for these crimes.

Rape is defined as intentional penile penetration of the vagina, anus, or mouth of another person without their consent and without a reasonable belief that they consent.