Marc-André ter Stegen is living his darkest hours as a player for FC Barcelona. For years, he was a pillar in the Barça goal, a hero of countless European nights and the current first team captain, but he has become an uncomfortable figure in the new era led by Hans-Dieter Flick.
The German coach has been clear and direct: "If he stays, he doesn't play." Despite the harshness of that statement, the German goalkeeper has decided to stand firm… and not move. The situation is complex for multiple reasons. First, the arrival of Joan García from RCD Espanyol has changed the landscape in Barça's goal.
The goalkeeper has impressed Flick from day one and has been named the undisputed starter. His profile fits the style the coach wants to impose, and his potential makes him a long-term bet. Ter Stegen, on the other hand, is still dealing with knee discomfort after his serious injury almost a year ago.
The national team goalkeeper… without minutes
With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, the goalkeeper needs minutes to keep his role in the German national team, where Julian Nagelsmann still trusts him. But without matches under his belt, his starting spot in Die Mannschaft is at risk. The decision to stay at Barça, therefore, could also have consequences on the international stage.
Even so, Ter Stegen feels betrayed by the club. According to sources close to him, he expected more respectful treatment from the board and the new coaching staff, especially considering everything he has given for the blaugrana badge since his arrival in 2014.
That disappointment has led him to be determined to fulfill his contract, which runs until 2028. He isn't willing to forgo a single euro of his high salary, nor to facilitate a departure he feels is unfair.
An economic problem for Laporta
Ter Stegen's salary is one of the highest in the squad, and freeing it up was key to registering both Joan García and the new signings who are set to arrive. The club's financial plan largely depended on the German goalkeeper's departure, and his refusal could destabilize the roadmap designed by the sporting management.
Flick wants a group committed to his idea and fears that the presence of a captain without minutes or prominence could end up generating internal tensions. Ter Stegen, although he is an impeccable professional, wouldn't naturally accept moving to a secondary role after so many years of being untouchable.
Possible surgery ahead
As if that weren't enough, the club's medical staff don't rule out that the goalkeeper may have to undergo knee surgery again, which would sideline him for at least four months. That possibility makes it harder to find him a way out in the market, since no top-level team would agree to sign him injured and with such a high salary.
The Ter Stegen case has become a powder keg. Flick doesn't count on him. The club wants him to leave. But he has no intention of stepping aside. Everything suggests that, barring an unexpected turn, the German will spend the season in the stands… with the highest salary in the squad. A ticking time bomb for Barça.