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The relationship between FC Barcelona and their goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is appearing to be deteriorating day-by-day. The most recent dispute that occurred brought out the reported financial woes of the club as they requested ter Stegen to sign a consent form allowing them to share his medical report with La Liga, indicating a longer recovery period. This would have enabled the registration of new signings, including goalkeeper Joan García from Espanyol and Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford. Ter Stegen refused to comply, citing a lack of respect from the club. This move reportedly prompted Barcelona to initiate disciplinary proceedings against him.
In a dramatic turn of events, FC Barcelona has stripped its veteran goalkeeper, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, of the club’s captaincy following a contentious dispute over his refusal to share medical data with La Liga. Barcelona announced the decision on August 7, 2025. Centre-back Ronald Araujo, the current vice-captain, will assume the role of first-team captain until the matter is resolved, according to an official club statement. Removal of ter Stegen from captaincy has speculatively put an uncertainty over his future at the club.
The tensions at Barcelona is indication towards their financial woes
The dispute reportedly underscores Barcelona’s broader financial woes. The club’s inability to register new signings due to La Liga’s salary cap restrictions has been a recurring issue, with ter Stegen’s refusal to cooperate exacerbating the situation. The signings of García and Rashford, alongside Wojciech Szczesny’s reported emergence as Hansi Flick’s preferred goalkeeper, signal a potential shift away from ter Stegen, who still has three years left on his contract. Ter Stegen, who joined Barcelona for €12 million in 2014, has made over 400 appearances for the club, cementing his status as one of Europe’s elite goalkeepers.
He played a pivotal role in Barcelona’s 2014-15 treble, winning the Champions League and Copa del Rey, and has since secured six La Liga titles apart from winning the individual accolade of the 2022-23 Zamora Trophy for conceding just 18 goals in 38 matches. The goalkeeper, who has been a cornerstone of Barcelona’s defense since joining from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2014, announced on social media that he expected to be sidelined for three months. This statement, however, clashed with La Liga’s financial fair play regulations, which allow clubs to free up 80% of a player’s wages to register new signings if the player is classified as a long-term absentee, requiring a minimum absence of four months.
