"He’s Still Our Captain": Teammates Stand by Ter Stegen | OneFootball

Barca Locker Room Rallies Around Goalkeeper Amid Leadership Doubts

"He’s Still Our Captain": Teammates Stand by Ter Stegen

Barcelona goalkeeper Marc Andre ter Stegen's at the center of growing controversy following his recent back surgery which he says will keep him sidelined for three months.

Dispute Over Recovery Timeline

Although Ter Stegen publicly confirmed 3 month absence, the Barcelona board's reportedly furious suspecting the German veteran of intentionally underreporting the length of his layoff.

The issue lies in La Liga regulations which only allow player replacements if the injury rules someone out for at least four months.

According to reports, club president Joan Laporta & other top officials are now considering stripping Ter Stegen of the captaincy which he received last summer.

Support from Teammates

Despite the backlash, senior teammates Frenkie de Jong & Ferran Torres have publicly defended their captain.

De Jong stated after Barca’s 7 - 3 friendly win over FC Seoul:

Torres added:

Barcelona’s Goalkeeping Reshuffle

The Catalan giants have responded by signing Spanish goalkeeper Juan Garcia from Espanyol and renewing the contract of Polish veteran Wojciech Szczesny raising doubts over Ter Stegen's long term future under new coach Hansi Flick.