Ter Stegen's captaincy, in the sights of Barça

Published New:25/07/2025 - 16:06h

Updated New:25/07/2025 - 16:16h

The final decision on whether to remove Ter Stegen from the captaincy of Barça would be in the hands of coach Hansi Flick. The goalkeeper is very angry with the club

The situation between FC Barcelona and the team's first captain, Marc-André ter Stegen, has become a prominent topic in recent hours after information surfaced indicating that the German goalkeeper could lose the captaincy.

This scenario arose after Barça's '1' published a statement indicating that he would undergo surgery to treat the lumbar problems he is suffering from and would be out for about three months.

It should be noted that a medical leave of at least four months would allow the Azulgrana team to register Joan García in LaLiga, taking advantage of 80% of the German's salary to free up space in the salary cap. The goalkeeper's message is forceful: he is not willing to make things easy for the club.

Faced with the player's firm stance, the Blaugrana entity rushed to issue a clarification. The Catalan club estimates that the recovery period ranges between four and five months, which reinforces the possibility of activating the regulatory substitution mechanism.

Dr. Pedro Luis Ripoll stated in an interview with 'El Larguero' that it cannot be guaranteed that the player will be sidelined for three months, as stated in his publication.

"Three months seems very fair to me. You can't say if it will be three or four, but generally, on paper it would be more like four (...). It would have been better if he had kept quiet and the doctors had said it after the operation," Ripoll noted.

Ter Stegen's captaincy, subject to Hansi Flick's criteria

In this context, the statement published by MATS has led both the club and the coaching staff to consider the possibility of removing him from the captain's armband.

In addition, the Blaugrana entity believes that a valid interlocutor from the team is needed to communicate with coach Hansi Flick, president Joan Laporta, and sporting director Deco. However, Ter Stegen is angry with Barça over a series of decisions.

The final verdict will rest with Flick. The German coach has always proven to be a staunch defender of internal balance and harmony in the dressing room. For the German coach, these two pillars—stability and a good atmosphere—are essential not only for the cohesion of the group but also for achieving sporting objectives.

The other captains are Frenkie de Jong, Ronald Araujo, Pedri, and Raphinha. The coach could also let the other players express their point of view on the situation and hold a vote to see if everything stays the same or if another captain is added.

Ter Stegen, upset about the signing of Joan García

In this line of reasoning, the native of Mönchengladbach's anger with the club becomes more evident after Barça recommended that he make a joint statement. However, the goalkeeper preferred to go ahead and release the letter an hour earlier through his social media.

Furthermore, the arrival of Joan García to the Barça goal generated a lot of discomfort in Ter Stegen. After the incorporation of the Catalan, the German began to receive messages indicating that the club wanted to make him look for another destination to free up salary mass and thus register new players like the goalkeeper.

Likewise, at Barça, they are not happy with MATS's attitude either, who, after recovering from the complete rupture of the patellar tendon in his right knee in the final stretch of the 2024/25 season, dedicated himself to making it clear that he wanted to be a starter.

His anger increased in the last match of last season against Athletic Club, as he did not participate in the match and, therefore, could not collect a bonus contemplated in his contract established until 2028.

The situation for Ter Stegen has become very complex, as after the arrival of Joan García, he would have become the third goalkeeper of the team, while the former Espanyol player would be the first and Wojciech Szczęsny the second.