Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Barcelona have reinstated Marc-André ter Stegen as first-team captain, ending a brief but highly publicised fallout over the goalkeeper’s medical situation and its impact on the club’s ability to register new players. The decision came after the German signed the authorisation allowing Barcelona to send his medical report to La Liga.
“The Club announces that the player Marc-André ter Stegen has signed the authorisation necessary for the Club to send La Liga the medical report relating to his surgery,” Barcelona confirmed in a statement on Friday. “The disciplinary case has been closed and the player is captain of the first team once again with immediate effect.”
The controversy began when Ter Stegen underwent back surgery and publicly announced he would be sidelined for three months. While that was in line with the prognosis given by his doctors, it clashed with Barcelona’s plans to classify him as a long-term injury — a designation requiring at least four months out under La Liga rules. Such a classification would have allowed the club to clear 80 per cent of his wages until mid-season and create space to register new players under Financial Fair Play regulations.
Ter Stegen’s post reportedly frustrated club management, leading to him being stripped of the captaincy on Thursday. But the 33-year-old stood firm, insisting Barcelona had been kept fully informed from the outset.
“The decision to undergo surgery was made after consultation with medical professionals and fully approved by the club,” he wrote on Instagram earlier on Friday. “Moreover, I announced publicly the minimum recovery timing that I shall need after that, which had been communicated to me by most reputed experts and always in coordination with the club.”
