Football: Next escalation level: ter no longer clamped captain

The reunion should not have been too warm when Marc-André Ter Stegen visited the training site Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper in Barcelona for more than an hour. Communication with the currently injured German national soccer goalkeeper is running through lawyers, and the next escalation level in the Catalan Summer-Zoff was finally reached on Thursday. Ter Stegen was discontinued as Barça captain, as the club announced.

It was only on Tuesday that the Spanish master initiated a disciplinary proceedings against the former Gladbach keeper. The background is the refused declaration of consent from Ter Stegen that the club may forward the medical report to the league after its operation. The goalkeeper has thus brought the club to the bredouille, which are still heavily struck. It is very difficult to register new players shortly before the start of the new season.

No future despite the contract until 2028

In view of the dispute, it is difficult to imagine that the barça jersey will wear again. His well -endowed contract runs until 2028. The former Gladbacher once seemed to be the perfect goalkeeper for the Catalans. After his arrival eleven years ago, he was praised by stars like Lionel Messi due to his football skills. And the success was immediately established: In 2015, Ter Stegen held the Champions League Cup in his hands.

Due to the susceptibility to injury, Ter Stegen has long since lost his status, and the keeper had already missed a large part of the games last season. Accordingly, the club with newcomer Joan García from Espanyol Barcelona and veteran Wojciech Szczesny plans. An departure in summer seemed to be a decided thing, especially since well -known clubs signaled. Through renewed back surgery, all of this is obsolete.

Dispute for the length of the downtime

But that’s not all: with a social media post, Ter Stegen his club when he himself spoke of a downtime of no more than three months. The association assumes a downtime of four months or more. In this case, in accordance with the financial fair play rules applicable in Spain, 80 percent of the default player’s salary could use to register a new player. It is piquantly García, and Szczesny should not yet have any entitlement to play.

Already last season, Barcelona had significant problems registering the ex-Leipzig Dani Olmo. Now there is a hanging game again. And the time is urging: Barça starts the season at RCD Mallorca on August 16.

Araujo takes over captain’s office

Ter Stegen should still have great support in the team. The club now came before. Ronald Araujo was appointed successor Ter Stegens. According to the newspaper 3CAT and the newspaper “Sport”, Barça had commissioned the German coach Hansi Flick to share this “drastic decision” to the keeper.

Sources of the association confirmed the “Mundo Deportivo” specialist newspaper that the question of the captain’s armband had to be clarified at short notice, since the traditional annual friendly game for the Trophäe Joan Gamper takes place on August 10. Among other things, the team captain speaks to the fans to mobilize them for the new season. The club is of the opinion that not a player that a disciplinary procedure is running should give this speech, the newspaper wrote.

An end to the posse around the Stegen is not in sight. There is also a lot at stake for the goalkeeper. With national coach Julian Nagelsmann, he is actually the number one for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico after having to act behind Manuel Neuer for many years. In winter, a possible transfer should be an issue again – possibly the best solution for both sides.