Ter Stegen stripped of Barcelona captaincy over medical dispute | OneFootball

Barcelona have removed Marc-Andre ter Stegen from the captaincy role in the wake of the dispute over his injury status.

The decision follows the German goalkeeper’s failure to submit his medical report after he underwent a back operation last month.

Barca had hoped Ter Stegen’s extended absence would allow them to register new signings, including his potential successor Joan Garcia.

While the La Liga rules deem a player to be a long-term absentee if he is sidelined for four months, Ter Stegen announced on social media that he would be out for three months.

The latest episode further escalates Ter Stegen’s fallout with the Catalan club. His future has been the centre of discussion throughout this summer.

The Blaugrana have paid €25 million for Garcia from rivals Espanyol. Manager Hansi Flick wants to make the Spaniard the club’s first-choice keeper.

Hamstrung by their financial woes, the La Liga champions are pushing to sell Ter Stegen to generate more space in their wage bill to accommodate new signings Garcia and Marcus Rashford.

However, the German international is determined to stay with Barcelona despite his place being put under threat.

He feels betrayed by Barca due to the sudden negative propaganda against him in the media and the way the club has handled his situation.

The 33-year-old’s contract runs until 2028, and there haven’t been any concrete proposals from other clubs.

A devastating knee injury sidelined him for the majority of the 2024/25 season.

Barca signed Wojciech Szczesny as an emergency replacement, and he helped them win the La Liga title, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup.

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