DFB wade into Barcelona tensions with Marc-Andre Ter Stegen | OneFootball

The situation between Barcelona and Marc-Andre Ter Stegen appears to have reached boiling point in the last few days, with the club having decided to start disciplinary proceedings against their captain following his refusal for his medical report to sent to La Liga as a way for his replacement Joan Garcia to be registered.

In the case of a player’s injury being longer than four months, a club can use 80% of that player’s salary to register a replacement. Barcelona believe that Ter Stegen falls into this category, while the man himself publicly claimed that he would only be missing for three.

As a result, tensions between the two parties are very strained, and Ter Stegen’s short and long-term future in Catalonia is now incredibly bleak. But according to Andreas Rettig, sporting director of the German Football Federation (DFB), this should not be the case, as per MD.

“I would like to take into account in his dealings with him the merits and importance that Marc-André had, not only with us, but also in Barcelona. But I’m a bit biased. He is a player of our national team. Therefore, I may not be the right person to evaluate it objectively.”

Marc-Andre ter Stegen of FC Barcelona looks on during the UEFA Champions League, Group H, football match played between FC Barcelona and Shakhtar Donetsk at Estadio Olimpico de Montjuic on October 25, 2023, in Barcelona, Spain. (Image via Marc Graupera Aloma / AFP7 vía Europa Press)

How does Ter Stegen’s situation affect his Germany chances?

Ter Stegen was replaced as Barcelona number one before the registration situation came about, with Garcia having been brought in from Espanyol. The plan was for the 33-year-old to be third-choice, also behind Wojciech Szczesny, and if this is the case when he returns from injury in November/December, he will almost certainly not be Germany’s starting goalkeeper for next summer’s World Cup.