Barcelona Weighs Disciplinary Measures Against Goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen

Barcelona leadership is set to convene on Thursday to deliberate Marc-André ter Stegen's continuation as team captain, according to Spanish media reports.

Ter Stegen's position was already under scrutiny following Joan García's acquisition, which posed a challenge to his starting goalkeeper status, but a severe back injury sustained during practice has triggered renewed internal discord.

Following surgical intervention, Ter Stegen publicly announced his expectation of a three-month recovery period. Barcelona had anticipated the German keeper would be unavailable for four months, enabling them to exclude his wages from their payroll during the season's first half and register players like García and summer acquisition Marcus Rashford.

Ter Stegen has subsequently prevented Barcelona from accessing his medical documentation, exercising his legal prerogative, though club leadership remains shocked by what they view as unwillingness to facilitate new player registrations—including his potential successor.

With potential litigation looming, Ter Stegen has received support from both La Liga and Spain's players' union (AFE). Currently, SPORT reports that exasperated Barcelona executives are contemplating removing the goalkeeper's captaincy privileges.

Coach Hansi Flick is scheduled to participate in Thursday's meeting with several board members, where Ter Stegen's captaincy fate will be determined. The goalkeeper faces accusations of prioritizing personal interests over team welfare, which, though not legally actionable, contradicts expected captain conduct.

Spanish press reports suggest the decision to revoke Ter Stegen's captaincy has been finalized, though the situation grows increasingly sensitive as multiple squad members have publicly endorsed Ter Stegen.

Frenkie de Jong, Ferran Torres and Gavi have all expressed solidarity with Ter Stegen, leaving club officials concerned about disrupting team chemistry by bypassing player sentiment in selecting a new captain.