Barcelona reinstates Ter Stegen as team captain following leadership controversy
Barcelona Captain Ter Stegen Reinstated After Medical Document Signe
Marc-André ter Stegen has been re-appointed as Barcelona captain following a resolution to a dispute over his medical data. The German goalkeeper had initially refused to sign the document that would allow Barcelona to register his long-term injury absence with La Liga, leading to disciplinary proceedings and the temporary loss of his captaincy.
The stalemate arose due to Ter Stegen's initial claim that he would return in three months, which contradicted the club's assessment of a four-month injury recovery period. This disagreement escalated into a public dispute, resulting in Ter Stegen losing the captaincy.
However, after a key meeting with club president Joan Laporta and discussions at his home, Ter Stegen relented and signed the paperwork, enabling the club to close the disciplinary file and reinstate him as captain.
The resolution of this issue was crucial for Barcelona, as it allowed them to use 80% of Ter Stegen's salary cap space temporarily freed by his injury absence to register new signing Joan Garcia.
Despite being reinstated as captain, Barcelona may consider selling Ter Stegen in January 2026, potentially reviving controversy. For now, Garcia is regarded as the first-choice goalkeeper during Ter Stegen’s injury recovery.
Barcelona are yet to register five players before their LaLiga title defense against Mallorca. Ter Stegen has released a statement expressing his willingness to collaborate with the club's management to ensure a smooth transition during his recovery.
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- Despite the controversy surrounding his temporary loss of captaincy due to a medical document disagreement, Ter Stegen signed the paperwork, which will now allow Barcelona to register his long-term injury absence with La Liga.
- Barcelona's reinstatement of Ter Stegen as captain will not affect their potential transfer plans, as the club may consider selling him in January 2026, reviving the controversy that arose earlier.
