Barcelona consider stripping Marc-Andre ter Stegen off captaincy amid rising tension | OneFootball

In a major development, SPORT’s Ferran Correas reports that voices have emerged within FC Barcelona suggesting Marc-Andre ter Stegen should no longer continue as club captain amid growing tension between the two parties.

The report has been corroborated by Mundo Deportivo, who state that the board and the coaching staff are in unison about the idea of stripping off the captaincy from Ter Stegen.

Tensions rising

Ter Stegen has entered into a standoff with Barcelona. The German goalkeeper, who is set to undergo surgery for a back injury, released a statement on social media that was not well received by the club.

In his post, he announced his decision to have surgery and stated he would be out for approximately three months. He likely did so knowing that an absence of four months or more would allow Barcelona to use 80% of his salary to register Joan Garcia.

The message was clear: Ter Stegen is not willing to make things easier for the club. Barcelona quickly responded, stating that medical evaluations indicated a recovery time of between four and five months.

While Barcelona continue to express respect for Ter Stegen, they do not hide their anger and displeasure, particularly with his public statement.

Internally, some believe he is not putting the team first, and as such, there is a growing consensus that he should no longer serve as captain.

Ter Stegen also unhappy

Captaincy to be taken off Ter Stegen? (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)

Ter Stegen has been unhappy with Barcelona since learning of Garcia’s arrival to strengthen the goalkeeping position, and he began receiving signals that the club’s intention was to move him on to free up salary space.

After recovering from a serious knee injury and receiving medical clearance, Ter Stegen publicly insisted on reclaiming the starting role – a stance Hansi Flick did not support.

The 33-year-old left for the Nations League in a sour mood after being benched for the final league match, missing out on a bonus written into his contract. His frustration grew when it became clear that Joan Garcia was being brought in.

Ter Stegen has made it clear he intends to see out his contract, which runs until 30 June 2028, and has no intention of leaving.

Captaincy off

Given the situation, Barcelona are planning to remove the armband from the German goalkeeper.

This is a joint decision made by the club and the coaching staff, motivated by Ter Stegen’s recent behaviour and the need for a reliable team representative to liaise with Flick, sporting director Deco, and president Joan Laporta.

The captain is expected to serve as the link between the squad, the coaching staff, the sporting department, and the board – yet communication between Ter Stegen and those three areas has been virtually non-existent.

On top of that, Ter Stegen will be out of the squad for at least another three months. Given the circumstances, the club no longer sees him as the ideal figure to handle the responsibilities that come with the captaincy.