After several long weeks of tensions, the Marc-André Ter Stegen affair finally seems to find a way out, even if certain gray areas still persist. The FC Barcelona goalkeeper, the club's pillar since 2014, had triggered an internal crisis by refusing to sign the medical report required by the Liga. This document had to formalize your absence after an operation on the back and record the summer recruit Joan Garcia. This refusal, interpreted as a voluntary blockage, had caused an immediate reaction from the management: withdrawal from the captain's armband, deletion of his profile from the official site, opening of a disciplinary file … Rumors had even circulated, accusing him of having aggravated his injury to avoid a transfer, accusations that the German had firmly denied. In the background, a deep misunderstanding between the player and his leaders on the management of his communication, considered clumsy and harmful to the image of the club.
The tension rose from a notch when sources close to management suggested that Ter Stegen put its interests above those of Barça. But in the locker room, several executives have defense, believing that there was a leader and an example, like Gavi who said: “Marc is a legend of the club and we must respect it”. President Joan Laporta, aware of the deleterious climate, ended up going to the guardian's home for an honest and frank interview. The two men approached injuries, the accumulated misunderstandings and the sporting future, which seems complicated in view of the competition. From this meeting was born an end of the crisis. Indeed, Ter Stegen finally agreed to sign the medical report, the club ended the sanctions, and the armband was returned to him. A truce that is very timely when the season starts very soon and the stability of the group is crucial for Barça.
The strong announcement of Ter Stegen
This Sunday, August 10, before the friendly match against Côme at Johan Cruyff Stadium, Ter Stegen spoke publicly at the club's microphone. His long and warm speech began with a ” Hello everyone. Thank you very much for coming to Johan. »» and continued with a call to unity: “I think it was important to solve the problem between the club and me and it's time to look forward. »» The porter recalled the requirement of the coming season, thanked the teammates who left, praised the arrival of recruits and assured of his support to facilitate their integration. “With these new players, we will be stronger and I am sure they will integrate perfectly into this locker room”he said. Finally, he wanted to thank the Blaugrana coach, Hansi Flick, as well as his staff for the previous season: “They gave us a very beautiful football football. »» An intervention which, behind the displayed enthusiasm, lets the idea that the conflict was real and deep, and that its public evocation could also be, despite everything, the start of a future departure in the coming days.
For the time being, the German will not find the land before 2026 and will have to focus on his rehabilitation. Barça attacks a dense season with the need to maintain the unit to target titles, including the Champions League. Last season, the Catalans raised three trophies, and Ter Stegen insisted on the importance of repeating these successes with “The help of supporters”. If peace seems to be signed, one might think that it remains fragile. The goalkeeper, adored for more than a decade in Catalonia, having played 422 games in the Barça jersey, could have to think about his future. Because if this thorny file seems to close, it is not certain that the story between Ter Stegen and Barça still has many episodes to write.
