Marc-André ter Stegen has spoken. He has done so at a crucial moment for his career and for the future of FC Barcelona. Right before boarding a flight to Bordeaux, where he will undergo surgery again for his recurring lower back problems, the German goalkeeper was intercepted by SPORT at El Prat airport.
Although his demeanor was calm, his words aim to ease an obvious climate of tension between the player and the sporting management: "The relationship with the club is good, always good, intact," said the Barça captain.
A new absence in Flick's era
This will be the second surgery on the same area performed on Ter Stegen in just two years, and it comes right at the start of Hansi Flick's second season as the blaugrana coach. The German manager already made his mark in his first year by winning La Liga and the Copa del Rey with effective and direct soccer, now he faces one of the biggest challenges: managing the goal without his undisputed starter for months.
In this new campaign, Barça already has Joan García in their squad, signed last summer from Espanyol as a bet for both the present and the future. The young Catalan goalkeeper has established himself as a reliable option, now he will have the opportunity to show his worth during Ter Stegen's absence.
A surgery that causes friction
The procedure, which will take place this Tuesday at the Sports Clinic in Bordeaux-Mérignac, will be led by Dr. Amélie Léglise, the same specialist who already operated on him in 2023.
Although FC Barcelona announced that their medical staff would supervise the process, outlets such as AS have reported that Ter Stegen hasn't allowed any club representative to accompany him to the operating room. This gesture, which hasn't been denied, fuels the theory of a real distancing between the goalkeeper and the club.
The player himself was the one who announced on social media that he would be out for three months, an unusual figure, since that prevents the club from invoking article 77 of LaLiga's budgetary regulations. This article allows the use of 80% of the injured player's salary to register new footballers if the absence exceeds four months.
An unexpected blow to Barça's financial plan
The situation has caused discomfort among the board, since Ter Stegen's high salary represents a significant burden within financial fair play. Every euro counts in this delicate accounting balance. Flick, who initially didn't want to touch the goal, has accepted the situation pragmatically, betting on Joan García and requesting maximum discretion regarding the evolution of the case.
The club, for now, remains silent about the exact recovery time and keeps the focus on the postoperative period. If the surgery reveals complications or the absence extends beyond what was expected, Barça could then activate the legal procedure to free up part of the goalkeeper's salary and have more room to maneuver in the market.