Report – The conflict that led Hansi Flick to decide to sell Barcelona captain | OneFootball

Marc-Andre Ter Stegen’s future could become one of the major stories of the summer. With FC Barcelona set to officially announce the signing of Espanyol’s Joan Garcia next week, the German goalkeeper now faces a decision: stay at the club without playing or move on.

The 33-year-old shot-stopper has reiterated a couple of times that he has no plans to leave and intends to stay at Barça.

The straw that broke the camel’s back

Barcelona, for their part, have deliberated at length, but Ter Stegen’s behaviour at the end of the season appears to have been the final straw for both head coach Hansi Flick and the sporting department.

Indeed, according to journalist Xavi Torres (h/t SPORT), Ter Stegen’s agent contacted Deco in the days leading up to the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final against Inter Milan, making it clear that the goalkeeper was fully recovered and ready to play.

Despite this, the coaching staff opted to continue with Wojciech Szczesny due to his strong performances and Ter Stegen’s lack of match rhythm.

Ter Stegen was displeased with the decision and refused to travel to Milan with the team, choosing instead to train alone in Barcelona. This was in stark contrast to other injured players, such as Jules Kounde, who despite being injured still flew out to support the squad.

The German’s attitude and pressure behind the scenes did not sit well with club officials and added tension in the dressing room during the season’s final stretch.

Three-fold reasons for sale

Barcelona unhappy with Ter Stegen’s conduct. (Photo by Pedro Salado/Getty Images)

Ter Stegen also gave an extensive interview to a German media outlet, publicly stating he was ready to return. This echoed the private message he had already delivered to Flick.

The relationship between the two, already strained due to Flick’s prior decision to favour Manuel Neuer during his time with the German national team, became even more difficult.

The decision to move on from Ter Stegen is based on three factors. For starters, the sporting aspect – there is no longer full confidence in him following his injury. Then there is the economic situation – his departure would significantly reduce the wage bill.

Finally, there is the effect of the episode in the dressing room – his recent conduct has not been well received.

Indeed, apart from the staff and the management, even Szczesny was not pleased with Ter Stegen’s handling of the situation. Despite this, he made clear that he was willing to take on a secondary role moving forward.

But after securing Szczesny’s renewal, the club decided to sign another top goalkeeper, effectively opening the door for Ter Stegen’s exit.