Barcelona and Ter Stegen Caught in a Vortex of Conflict

BARCELONA, THURSDAY — The dispute between Barcelona and goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen continues to escalate. This situation arises as the kickoff of the new season of La Liga is just two weeks away. The conflict has entered a new phase following the decision of Barcelona's officials to strip Ter Stegen of the captaincy.

It all began with Ter Stegen's reluctance to allow Barca to submit his medical report to the Medical Committee of La Liga. Barca is very keen to submit Ter Stegen's medical report.

The German goalkeeper has just undergone his second back surgery and is expected to rest for three months. However, this duration of rest cannot be categorized as a long-term absence. Therefore, Barca issued a different medical report stating that Ter Stegen should rest longer, approximately four to five months.

However, Ter Stegen refused to allow Barca to submit the medical report to the Medical Committee of the Spanish League. The decision from this Medical Committee will later determine whether Barca can register another player or not. However, the Medical Committee cannot make a decision if Ter Stegen does not grant permission to Barca to submit his medical report.

Ter Stegen's refusal has undoubtedly caused panic among Barca's executives as it would hinder the club's efforts to register new players, including goalkeeper Joan Garcia, who has just been recruited from Espanyol. This is because if Ter Stegen remains sidelined for an extended period, Barca could utilize up to 80 percent of its salary cap to register new players.

The Spanish sports daily, AS, reported that Barcelona President Joan Laporta is very angry with Ter Stegen's actions. They are now caught in a conflict that is very likely to end up in court. Recently, it has been reported that Barcelona has instructed coach Hansi Flick to revoke Ter Stegen's status as team captain.

"Laporta is angry with Ter Stegen and believes that he (Ter Stegen) acted in bad faith to complicate the registration efforts of Joan Garcia," wrote AS.

Nevertheless, Barca has opened the possibility of speaking with Ter Stegen. However, they are reluctant to initiate the conversation and are waiting for Ter Stegen to take the first step.

However, according to SPORT, Ter Stegen will remain steadfast in his current position not to sign the document. He continues to believe that he has the legal right to refuse.

Ter Stegen feels that he can recover soon, before four months. His experience after undergoing his first back surgery gives him that confidence. Ter Stegen refused to allow Barca to submit his medical report because he would lose his salary until the next transfer window opens in January.

Furthermore, Ter Stegen believes that the recruitment and contract extensions by Barca recently, including agreements with key players, were made prior to his latest injury. Therefore, the club should have a plan to register new players rather than using his injury as an excuse.

The conflict has escalated as Barca has opened a disciplinary file against Ter Stegen. The club intends to use this to take legal action against Ter Stegen.

All communication channels are currently at a standstill. This situation makes it unlikely for Ter Stegen to return to defend Barca even after recovery.

The contract of Ter Stegen is valid until June 30, 2028. He last extended his contract under the current management in 2023.

Another reason Ter Stegen is making this stand is to honor the contract and continue competing for the starting goalkeeper position after recovering. However, the top officials at Barca have responded differently.

On the other hand, the conflict between Ter Stegen and Barca is no longer an internal matter, but has expanded further to involve the German Football Association (DFB). The DFB has openly expressed its support for Ter Stegen. Support for Ter Stegen was notably articulated by DFB Sports Director Andreas Rettig.

"It would be better if his achievements over the years were taken into account, not only with Germany but also in Barcelona," said Rettig, as quoted by Bein Sport.