Ter Stegen Breaks Silence On Barcelona Captaincy Snub, Denies Unfair Claims

‎Barcelona goalkeeper, Marc-André ter Stegen, pushed back at claims he’s to blame for the club’s failure to register new players.

‎He insisted on Friday that his back surgery and recovery timeline were fully approved by the Spanish champions.

‎The 33-year-old German’s three-month rehabilitation schedule has created an unexpected headache for Barcelona, who had hoped to use his injury to ease their Financial Fair Play constraints under LaLiga rules.

‎Barcelona had proposed a long-term medical leave for him that would free up about 80% of his wages until mid-season, helping them satisfy LaLiga’s Financial Fair Play rules and register new players.

‎Ter Stegen’s social media post stated he would be sidelined for only three months. This irked club management, who argued the stay should meet long-term injury criteria.

‎LaLiga, however, requires a minimum four-month absence to qualify as a long-term injury.

‎”The decision to undergo surgery was made after consultation with medical professionals and fully approved by the club,” Ter Stegen said in a statement on Instagram, a day after he was stripped of the club’s captaincy.

‎”Moreover, I announced publicly the minimum recovery timing that I shall need after that, which had been communicated to me by most reputed experts and always in coordination with the club.”

‎Barcelona Registration Problems

‎Barca signed 24-year-old goalkeeper Joan Garcia from local rivals Espanyol last month, while Marcus Rashford joined on loan from Manchester United.

‎However, neither player has been registered yet as La Liga prepares for the new season kicking off on August 15.

‎”I would also like to clarify in light of certain speculation that all of the club’s signings and contract renewals were completed before my surgery,” Ter Stegen added.

‎”Therefore at no point could I consider that my unfortunate circumstances with the new surgery I had to undergo would be necessary for the registration of other colleagues… Any alternative interpretation seems both unfair and inaccurate to me.

‎”I understand that difficult moments can generate tension, but I trust that through dialogue and responsibility, we can resolve this situation constructively. I am fully willing to collaborate with the club’s management to resolve the matter and provide the requested authorisation.”

‎The controversy highlights Barcelona’s financial struggles as they battle to register new signings once again.

‎Last season, the club approached Spain’s National Sports Council to seek permission to field Dani Olmo and Pau Victor for the remainder of the season after La Liga ruled they could not be registered based on their financial accounts.