Dispute between Ter Stegen and FC Barcelona escalates further

The background to the disciplinary proceedings is that German national team goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen refused to allow FC Barcelona to submit his injury report to the Spanish league's medical committee. The player's medical data is confidential, so he must consent to it being shared with third parties.

Ter Stegen recently underwent another back operation . In a subsequent social media post, he mentioned a three-month absence, angering his financially struggling club. The club anticipates a four-month or longer absence. In this case, Barcelona could use 80 percent of the absent player's salary to register a new player, in accordance with Spain's Financial Fair Play rules.

Ironically, this is goalkeeper Joan García, whom the Catalans signed from Espanyol Barcelona in the summer as their new number one. However, he is still awaiting his eligibility.

Lost regular place

The 33-year-old ter Stegen still has a well-paid contract with the Spanish champions and cup winners until 2028. However, the club would like to get the German national goalkeeper off the payroll.

Until ter Stegen's latest injury, there had been a number of well-known interest in him, including Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea FC, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juventus Turin, Galatasaray Istanbul and AS Monaco.

Barcelona's German Coach Hansi Flick demoted ter Stegen, who has been playing for the club since 2014, to number three. The goalkeeper was even forced to train separately from the team.

Rettig: "Take Ter Stegen's merits into account"

Whether ter Stegen's extended absence will also affect the German national team remains to be seen. National coach Julian Nagelsmann had declared ter Stegen the new number one between the sticks following Manuel Neuer's retirement . However, a lack of match practice ahead of the 2026 World Cup in the USA could force Nagelsmann to rethink his approach.

DFB Managing Director Andreas Rettig was reserved in his comments on the dispute between ter Stegen and FC Barcelona. "I'm naturally biased. He's a player for our national team," Rettig said. "But I would naturally hope that the merits and the importance that Marc-André had, not only with us but also at Barcelona, are taken into account in the way he is treated."