Ter Stegen rules the Barça goal

Hansi Flick arrived at the training ground yesterday for his first day of work in what will be his second season managing Barcelona . The German responded with a "very good" response to fans' questions about how his vacation, spent between his native Bammental and Formentera, had gone. Now, the coach has a job. As he likes to say, "decision is job," meaning "my job is making decisions."

These decisions translate into difficult conversations with players who aren't part of his plans. Although Barcelona's preseason begins tomorrow with medical checks and the first training session will be held on Monday afternoon, Flick met yesterday with several players who have already been training on the pitch for a few days on their own initiative. Among them is goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, who began training on Wednesday. Deco greeted him, and the two also arranged to speak with Hansi Flick to discuss his situation.

The club hopes to reach a 1-1 draw to sign a winger in early August.

The message to the goalkeeper is clear: Flick's plans are to invest in Joan Garcia between the sticks. The German also counts on Wojciech Szczesny, who has renewed for another season, with an optional extra, as his second-choice goalkeeper. It so happens that neither the Polish goalkeeper nor Joan Garcia are registered because the club is overbooked. Even so, the club will not apply any additional pressure. They believe that Ter Stegen, a Barça player for 10 years and captain of the squad, has the right to fight for a starting spot in a key year for reaching the World Cup. But they also believe that the lack of playing time could lead the German to make the decision to leave, especially knowing that Julian Nagelsmann, the Germany coach, is counting on him. Ter Stegen's departure, in the club's eyes, is essential to register his replacements and also to bring in a winger like Marcus Rashford on loan.

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But before negotiating this arrival, Barça must reach the 1-1 rule. To do so, they are awaiting the results of Crowe's audit of the 2024-25 budget, which is expected to account for the €100 million Barça will receive from the transfer of 475 VIP seats over 25 years to the companies New Era Visionary Group —which has paid €28 million of the €70 million committed—and Fort Advisors Limited , which has already paid the €30 million of its contract.

A Gamper with 30,000 spectators

Barcelona hopes to reopen the Spotify Camp Nou with a maximum capacity of 30,000 spectators, including 475 VIP seats, for the Joan Gamper Trophy on August 10 against Como. Tickets will go on sale in early August, and the available seats will be in the South Goal and the first and second tier grandstands. Entrance will be possible through the entrances on Arístides Maillol Street and Travessera de les Corts. Once the Gamper Trophy is over, the club will focus on obtaining the partial opening license that Barcelona City Council must grant to have a capacity of 60,000 spectators for the season, starting with the La Liga match against Valencia scheduled for September 13-14.

According to club sources, New Era Visionary Group doesn't need to advance the remaining €42 million to reach the planned €100 million. With a signed contract certifying the two remaining payment deadlines—scheduled for September and 2026—it should be sufficient, in their opinion. Barcelona is confident of receiving a positive result from the auditor in early August, and will then need to obtain LaLiga 's approval in the middle of that month, with 15 to 20 days remaining until the transfer window closes.

As for Ter Stegen, the owner of a multi-million-dollar contract deferred until 2028 after his latest renewal, he holds the upper hand. And he's registered. There could be more expensive departures for Araújo, in addition to those planned, such as Christensen, Iñaki Peña, or Oriol Romeu. But, as of today, the club isn't considering the departure of the Uruguayan or other players like Fermín.