Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen declines to complete the club's medical documentation, prompting disciplinary action from the football club.
In an unusual turn of events, Barcelona football club is currently embroiled in a standstill regarding player registration, with the refusal of goalkeeper Marc-André Ter Stegen to authorize the sharing of his surgical medical report with La Liga medical authorities being the root cause.
Ter Stegen, the club's captain, has refused to grant his consent for the release of his medical data, which has blocked Barcelona from officially registering his long-term injury status. This, in turn, affects the club's ability to register a replacement player under salary cap rules.
The goalkeeper's refusal has led to the opening of a disciplinary file against him, and temporarily removing him from captaincy duties to emphasize the seriousness of the issue. Barcelona contends that without La Liga's validation of the injury as long-term, they cannot free up salary cap space to register another player.
However, Ter Stegen insists that his recovery will be shorter than the club's projection and does not consider himself to be on a long-term injury. This situation, while rare, fits into a precedent of similar disputes in La Liga.
The signing of Spanish goalkeeper Joan García from Espanyol has sparked controversy, but it remains unrelated to Ter Stegen's current issue with Barcelona. The club is confident that they have a legal basis to send the report to La Liga, despite Ter Stegen's refusal.
The reoperation on Ter Stegen was performed on the same area where he was operated in 2023, and he is expected to be out for about four months, plus another month for recovery. Ter Stegen announced a few days ago that he would be out for three months due to his surgery.
This is not the first time a player in La Liga has refused to authorize the release of their medical data, but there is uncertainty about whether a similar situation has occurred in La Liga's history. Barcelona used medical reports signed by Andreas Christensen and Ronald Araujo last year to register Dani Olmo and Iñigo Martínez, who were out with long-term injuries.
The successful operation of Ter Stegen has been made official by FC Barcelona, but the estimated time of his absence is not indicated. The club is hopeful that this issue will be resolved soon, allowing them to register new signings and continue their pursuit of success in La Liga.
The average recovery time for a goalkeeper following surgical intervention, as observed in predecessor situations within La Liga, is typically around four months, plus an additional month for recuperation. Despite Ter Stegen's assertion that his recuperation will be shorter, his prolonged inability to authorize the release of his medical data has obstructed Barcelona from registering a replacement player in compliance with salary cap rules, influencing the team's average sports performance this season.
