Marc-André ter Stegen: Germany's saddest number one

A few days ago, the Barcelona-based daily newspaper "Sport" ran a two-letter headline: "KO." Above it was "TER STEGEN." The photo showed German national soccer goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen in profile, with a blank expression. His future: uncertain.

This cover aptly describes the 33-year-old's state of mind. Especially when contrasted with Ann-Katrin Berger (34), the German goalkeeper at the European Championship. After her brilliant save and performance in the quarterfinal against France (6-5 on penalties), she is being celebrated. Berger is the heroine, ter Stegen the tragic figure.

It is the sad story of a professional whose career always takes the worst possible turn when his life's dream approaches: to compete in a major tournament as number one with the national team.

Ter Stegen has played 44 international matches since 2012. He has played in four European Championships and four World Cups: zero. And now, as the path seems clear for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, he is experiencing a final humiliation at FC Barcelona , his home of eleven years. It fits the image of the eternally disappointed – and shows how brutal professional football can be.

A move is necessary, perhaps to one of the European Cup participants, like Galatasaray Istanbul in Turkey or AS Monaco in France. The first offers are pouring in. If he doesn't find a club, ter Stegen will lose his status as Germany's number one for the World Cup. That can only be a regular goalkeeper with match experience.

One of the protagonists of the drama, who influences the goalkeeper's present and future, knows this only too well: Hansi Flick, ter Stegen's former coach at the German national team and at Barça since last summer.

Flick no longer relies on the man who was appointed captain two years ago and who earned cult status among the world-class club's fans, winning six league titles, as many Spanish Cups, and the Champions League. This farce does not do justice to the relationship that has been so successful since 2014, when ter Stegen joined the Catalans from his boyhood club Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Only: The coach of the Spanish champions does not evaluate any merits from the time before he took office.

Sacked by the boss: Barcelona coach Hansi Flick (left) and Marc-André ter Stegen before his injury in September 2024.

Source: IMAGO/ZUMA Press Wire

Like the club's top brass, sporting director Deco and president Joan Laporta, Flick sees the future between the sticks in Joan Garcia, 24, signed from city rivals Espanyol for €25 million. Garcia is Spain's goalkeeping hope. FC Barcelona hopes to win international titles with him again. Flick and his team apparently lack the belief that they can win them with ter Stegen.

One reason for this: the patellar tendon tear from last September.

Undoubtedly ter Stegen's most serious injury, after he had been plagued by knee problems and back pain (including surgery) for years.

Particularly painful: The tendon tore when the goalkeeper was set to replace Manuel Neuer following the European Championship at home. It underscores the tragedy he endured as a professional footballer with the national team.

The premiere 13 years ago failed. In the 3-5 defeat against Switzerland, ter Stegen conceded the most goals by a DFB debutant since 1954. His next appearance for Germany came in August 2012: three goals conceded against Argentina, where he came on for Bernd Leno after receiving a red card.

The moment of shock: Marc-André ter Stegen scores an own goal in the friendly match in the USA.

Source: imago sportfotodienst

His early days in the national team jersey reached their lowest point so far during a trip to the USA in June 2013; in a 3-4 defeat to the USA, the ball rolled past his foot and over the line after a harmless back pass.

The terrible result after three international matches was: no wins, twelve goals conceded.

Before the 2014 World Cup, ter Stegen learned from Joachim Löw that he wouldn't be selected. Alongside Neuer, Roman Weidenfeller and Ron-Robert Zieler traveled to Brazil; both can call themselves world champions (without playing a single minute in the German triumph). Ter Stegen couldn't. He had to wait.

"Of course you're sad when you miss such a major event," said the then-young goalkeeper. At the time, he could assume he had only missed the first opportunity and that many tournaments would follow. He used the expression he would later use more frequently: the decision had to be "respected."

Two years later, Löw nominated ter Stegen as the reserve goalkeeper for the European Championship. Again, the call-up was ill-fated. In a battle for the spot behind Neuer with his arch-rival Leno, with whom their relationship has been strained since their time together on the national youth team, ter Stegen slipped up against Slovakia (1:3). So, he went to France as the number three.

Ter Stegen experienced a wonderful chapter in 2017, during Germany's last title win, the Confederations Cup, the preparation tournament for the World Cup. It's more than a footnote in his CV, but it's still a triumph of secondary importance, achieved with a team consisting less of first-choice players than of reserve players. This was followed by elimination in the group stage of the World Cup in Russia. Löw had again chosen Neuer. Again, ter Stegen grudgingly said he "accepted and respected" the decision.

Then the highly talented player's injury odyssey began, causing him to miss the 2021 European Championship. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the tournament was postponed for a year. It took place that summer, just as ter Stegen was sidelined due to knee surgery.

Before the World Cup embarrassment in Qatar, a duel for the German goal was canceled. Flick, as national coach, and goalkeeping coach Andreas Kronenberg found it "not conducive" to calling an "open duel." After the tournament, the king in the German goal suffered a broken leg, and the crown prince stepped up, before Flick was sacked by the DFB in September 2023.

Julian Nagelsmann, once Flick's successor at Bayern Munich, placed his trust in ter Stegen – until March 2024, when Neuer returned from injury and Nagelsmann confirmed the Munich native as his starting goalkeeper for the European Championship at home. Immediately afterward, the long-time captain of the German national team suffered a torn muscle fiber. He recovered from the injury shortly before the tournament, and ter Stegen was once again confined to the spectator role.

The rejection before his fourth tournament hurt him more than ever. Nagelsmann's decision "was a slap in the face for me," he admitted in a ZDF documentary. It all came as a "surprise" to him. "Especially the day after, you kind of collapse."

In July 2025, before his twelfth season with FC Barcelona, one year before the inaugural tournament as Germany's number one, ter Stegen experienced the greatest humiliation of his career: the club in which he had become an institution was relying on young blood.

The German goalkeeper knows this – from a different perspective. In 2016, his then rival, the Chilean Claudio Bravo, fled to Manchester City. Now the veteran is experiencing firsthand what it's like to no longer be needed. He's now Flick's number three, behind Garcia and the Pole Wojciech Szczesny (35), who has been reinstated due to ter Stegen's injury.

This is a sign that Barcelona doubts whether ter Stegen will return to full fitness after the ruptured patellar tendon. A respected sports physician who cares for national team players and Olympic athletes told the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND) that only severe pre-existing knee damage could lead to a ruptured patellar tendon. A return after nine months is no guarantee of a lasting recovery.

To make matters worse, ter Stegen is reportedly With a salary of €16 million, he earns a lot of money, and the traditional club is €1.2 billion in debt. Therefore, Barça's more cost-effective approach is: all for the future, all for Garcia, plus Szczesny as an experienced replacement, but no ter Stegen.

The dropped player apparently "doesn't respect or accept" the decision this time. During his time in rehab, ter Stegen exerted pressure, demanding a starting place. Flick and his superiors reportedly took offense. Ter Stegen also appears to have lost favor with the Catalan fans, who long admired the former captain; they even welcomed Garcia's signing.

Recently separated: Marc-André and Daniela ter Stegen have two sons together.

Source: IMAGO/ABACAPRESS

Off the pitch, he's been dealing with the separation from his wife Daniela, whom he's been married to since 2017. The couple have two sons, which also ties the professional footballer to Barcelona in his private life. He makes no secret of how important being close to his children is to him.

Ter Stegen's relationship status is complicated on every level. It seems ironic that he's currently experiencing the greatest love in the German national team. During the defeats against Portugal and France in the Nations League finals, ter Stegen, who could always count on Nagelsmann's trust ("He will be number one"), did a lot of self-promotion.

Barbecues in huge parking lots, heat and thunderstorms as constant themes, and Donald Trump at the final - a review at the end of the Club World Cup.

Shortly before, things had started to rumble in Barcelona. That's when Nagelsmann, who had long since shifted his focus to the 2026 World Cup, took a stand. "Given the past of the protagonists, I hope he receives an update on what's going on," the current national coach said to his predecessor. The update came – it was the final demotion.

As a replacement for the replacement at his current employer, to whom he is contractually bound for another three years, ter Stegen cannot defend his regular place in the German national team.

Germany's saddest number one is currently training alone, away from his teammates, in the club's weight room. He is apparently suffering from back pain again, and surgery is expected. No official statement has been received from the club so far. "KO" in Barcelona.

To prevent the same thing from happening to the national team and to save his participation in the 2026 World Cup, only a fresh start will help.