‘No contract guarantees anyone a starting spot’… Deco clarifies his position as tension continues between Barcelona and one of their captains | OneFootball

FC Barcelona were one of the most in-form teams in Spain and Europe last season. The Blaugranes won all the big titles in Spain, including the Spanish Super Cup, the Copa del Rey, and La Liga, and also came within a few minutes of securing a place in the UEFA Champions League final.

Still, the Catalans are looking to further strengthen their team ahead of the next season, and they have already identified the positions that are most in need of reinforcements.

In fact, they have already completed the signing of their highest-priority target, i.e., the goalkeeper Joan Garcia. Barcelona paid his €25 million release clause and have already officially added him to their team.

Ter Stegen facing an uncertain future at Barcelona

Photo by Pedro Salado/Getty Images

There is no doubt that Garcia’s signing is a very exciting one, as it provides the Blaugrana team with a long-term option to protect their goal at a very affordable price.

However, the Spaniard’s arrival is also going to disturb the team dynamics, as he is expected to be Hansi Flick’s starter, and more senior players will fall down in the pecking order.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen will be the player most impacted by this situation, as Garcia and Wojciech Szczesny are expected to be the starter and the backup goalkeepers, respectively.

In such a context, there were reports of ter Stegen not being too happy, and looking for a conversation with the club.

Deco clarifies his position

However, in a recent interview with La Vanguardia (h/t Fabrizio Romano), the Barcelona Sporting Director Deco made it clear that he will not be the one talking with the goalkeeper, as this is not his responsibility.

In this regard, the Portuguese official said:

These comments from Deco only go on to show the difficult position that ter Stegen is currently in. Hansi Flick is expected to talk to him about his role in the team once the players end their vacations and return for training on July 13th.