Barcelona and Marc-Andre Ter Stegen Lock Horns in Explosive Medical Records Battle
The relationship between Barcelona and Marc-André ter Stegen is rapidly deteriorating, with recent reports indicating the club is engaged in a bitter dispute with their captain regarding the confidentiality of his medical information.
Ter Stegen had already witnessed Barcelona acquire Joan García and offer Wojciech Szczęsny a fresh deal to strengthen their goalkeeping options for the upcoming campaign, effectively relegating him to a secondary role.
Indications of tension emerged during the latter part of 2024–25 when Szczęsny remained the first-choice keeper, even following Ter Stegen's return from an extended knee problem.
When preseason commenced, the German shot-stopper found himself training in isolation due to questions surrounding his future at the club. However, Ter Stegen required lower back surgery at July's end, which will sideline him for multiple months during his rehabilitation.
This situation eliminates Barcelona's opportunity to transfer or loan the goalkeeper in the current window, prompting the club to explore alternative methods to exclude his wages from La Liga's financial restrictions so García can be officially registered before the season starts.
Barcelona's legal team is investigating potential legal and disciplinary actions the club might employ to submit Ter Stegen's medical documentation to La Liga's medical panel without his authorization, MARCA reports, following his refusal to provide voluntary consent.
Both La Liga and Spain's players' union (AFE) reject claims that any legal gaps exist allowing Barcelona to circumvent the 33-year-old's wishes. Ter Stegen has also declined opportunities to negotiate with his employers who have been pursuing a peaceful resolution, according to Mundo Deportivo.
The club's objective in attempting to present the documentation to the medical panel is to establish the duration of Ter Stegen's expected absence. If the period extends to four months or beyond, the injury qualifies as long-term and his salary could be excluded from squad expenses. The player personally projected a three-month recovery timeline before his procedure.
Barcelona successfully employed this strategy last summer when Andreas Christensen was ruled out for the season's first half due to injury. This facilitated the registration of Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor, though that specific case backfired when the temporary provision lapsed mid-season and couldn't be extended without an awkward and lengthy legal battle.
However, sharing medical documentation requires explicit consent and approval from the affected player. While Barcelona "believe" they can proceed, the law favors Ter Stegen with no available workaround—as MARCA states: "under any circumstances". Any such effort constitutes a "serious violation" of the captain's rights, with "no professional or employment regulations supporting this".