Barcelona have confirmed the decision to temporarily strip goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen of his captaincy role at the club over the ongoing feud regarding his injury.
Ter Stegen was already facing an uncertain future after the arrival of Joan García threatened his role as starting goalkeeper, but a serious back injury suffered in training has kick-started a fresh wave of tension behind the scenes.
Having undergone surgery, Ter Stegen went public with his belief that he will be sidelined for three months. Barcelona had hoped the German stopper would be out for four months, which would allow them to omit his salary from their wage books for the first half of the season and register the likes of García and fellow summer signing Marcus Rashford instead.
Ter Stegen has since blocked the release of his medical records to Barcelona, as is his legal right, but club officials have been left stunned at what is perceived as a refusal to help the club register new signings—including his direct replacement.
Amid the threat of legal action, Ter Stegen has been backed by both La Liga and the players’ association in Spain (AFE). Club officials met with manager Hansi Flick on Thursday to discuss the situation and have now stripped the goalkeeper of the armband.
“FC Barcelona announces that, following the disciplinary proceedings opened against player Marc-André ter Stegen, and pending a definitive resolution to this matter, the Club, in agreement with the Sporting Directorate and the technical staff, has decided to temporarily remove him from the captaincy of the first team,” a statement read.
“During this period, the duties of first captain will be assumed by the current second captain, player Ronald Araujo.”
The issue of Ter Stegen’s captaincy became incredibly delicate after a number of squad members publicly spoke out in support of the German international, including Frenkie de Jong, Ferran Torres and Gavi.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Barcelona Confirm New Action Against Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
