The break between FC Barcelona and Marc-André Ter Stegen seems complete. However, the '1' is still the first team captain and, therefore, should be at the Joan Gamper Trophy on Sunday, as long as the club does not remove the armband before.

In that sense, the latest information in the azulgrana environment indicates that the board and the coaching staff could confirm the removal of 'Matts' captaincy in the next few hours. The player has left his representative in charge of the conversations with the club, ignoring the calls to the Ciutat Esportiva.

Joan Laporta and Deco tried, without success, to convince him to go to the club's headquarters to resolve the signing of his medical report. The '1', after returning from Bordeaux after his back operation, has remained completely silent, with no communication with the club's medical and technical staff.

Barça will make an unprecedented decision with Ter Stegen

The decision to remove the armband could become official on Thursday, after the squad returns to work at the Ciutat Esportiva. Hansi Flick, however, prefers to speak with the players first, as the vast majority of the dressing room is disconcerted by the situation, but still support the German goalkeeper.

Ter Stegen has been at the club for eleven years and has never had a problem with indiscipline or direct confrontation with the board. After the departures of Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Sergi Roberto, he assumed the first captaincy last summer.

Therefore, he should be the one to give the presentation speech of the squad next Sunday, before 6,000 spectators at the Johan Cruyff Stadium. Understanding the complexity of the case, the most sensible thing is to keep the '1' away from the squad, at least until the medical issue is resolved.

For now, each party defends its interests, with no hope of an agreement in the short term. LaLiga insists that, without Marc-André's signature, it cannot process his medical report or establish the length of absence. The Association of Spanish Footballers (AFE), on the other hand, agrees with Marc-André and criticizes the pressure exerted by Barça.

Keys and consequences of the 'Ter Stegen case'

The facts:

  1. Barça plans to send the official medical report to LaLiga now, setting Ter Stegen's absence time at more than four months. With this, the club will save 80% of his salary, freeing up enough salary margin to register Joan García and Wojciech Szczesny.
  2. Ter Stegen refuses to sign the medical report, protected by the right to confidentiality. The goalkeeper insists on being able to recover in a period of three months and understands that, if his long-term absence is confirmed, he will not play again for the rest of the year.
  3. LaLiga is waiting for Barça's medical report, which must, obligatorily, have the approval and signature of Ter Stegen. Otherwise, the Medical Commission will not be able to confirm his time off.

Possible consequences:

  1. Barça needs to resolve Ter Stegen's absence now. Beyond the issue of pending registrations, the club prioritizes freeing up salary mass with 80% of his salary, also aspiring to compensation from FIFA as it is a long-term injury. Otherwise, Barcelona will be forced to continue paying the net salary of the '1' (about €7 million net) even if he does not play with the first team again.
  2. Marc-André, for his part, is exposed to losing not only the captaincy, but also his place in the squad for rebelling against the club, blatantly obstructing an administrative process. The goalkeeper knows that Flick is not counting on him even though he has three years of contract and the bulk of his salary (about €42 million gross) to collect.
  3. The goalkeeper would also see his future compromised for the winter market, even if he leaves with a letter of freedom. The '1' would be forced to look for a team with a worrying recent history of injuries, in a season prior to the 2026 World Cup where, in theory, he would be a starter and captain with Germany.
  4. If Ter Stegen refuses to negotiate with Barça, the lawyers of both parties would be in charge of resolving the case. This, however, may take several weeks, while the club has the least time. The season starts next weekend and none of its reinforcements (García, Rashford, Bardghji) has been registered, nor have Szczesny and Gerard Martín.
  5. The image of FC Barcelona, again, is affected by the inability to resolve an internal problem that directly impacts sports and financial planning. Beyond the imminent return to 1:1, it is also regrettable that a club legend seems condemned to leave through the back door, pointed out by the board and part of the fans.