German Football Federation director disagrees with Barcelona’s handling of Ter Stegen situation | OneFootball

The situation surrounding Marc-Andre ter Stegen continues to develop, both at Barcelona and within the German national team.

Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann was the first to comment on the goalkeeper’s future with the national side amidst his current predicament at Barça. Now, Andreas Rettig, the Managing Director of Sport for the German team, has also weighed in.

Rettig disagrees with Barcelona

Rettig chose not to elaborate extensively on the Ter Stegen situation, stating: “I am a little biased. He is a player in our national team. Therefore, I may not be the right person to assess it objectively.”

Nonetheless, the director expressed disagreement with how the situation is being handled, as he said:

“I would like his merits and the importance Marc-Andre has had, not only with us but also in Barcelona, to be taken into account.”

Ter Stegen’s No. 1 spot for Germany is on the line. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

The tense relationship between Barcelona and Ter Stegen benefits neither side. The club has signed Joan Garcia to be their starting goalkeeper, but has not yet been able to register him.

Meanwhile, the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches, and for the first time, Ter Stegen could be the starting goalkeeper following Manuel Neuer’s retirement from international football.

Manager Nagelsmann had expressed his support for Ter Stegen but also warned that for him to be Germany’s No. 1 at the FIFA World Cup next year, he would need to be playing regularly at his club as well.

This scenario appears unlikely, not only because of Garcia’s arrival but also due to the club’s decision to extend Wojciech Szczesny’s contract for two more seasons.

At present, Ter Stegen is refusing to sign the medical report that the club must submit to La Liga, which would allow the league’s Medical Commission to determine the duration of his injury.

If the recovery period is over four months, as Barcelona believe, the club would be able to use 80% of his salary to register Garcia. As a result of his refusal, the Catalan club have opened disciplinary proceedings against their captain.