La liga: André ter Stegen reinstated as Barcelona captain

Barcelona has reinstated German goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen as the team’s captain after resolving a dispute related to his fitness.

Recall that the Catalan side stripped the German of his captaincy over a dispute concerning his injury.

Earlier in the week, the club began disciplinary action against Ter Stegen and removed him from the captaincy.

This came after a disagreement about his medical status following back surgery in July. Reports said the 33-year-old goalkeeper had refused to release his full medical details, which caused tension between him and the club.

Barcelona had tried to classify him as a long-term injury under La Liga rules, which would have allowed them to reduce his wages on the official payroll.

However, on Friday night, the club released a statement confirming that Ter Stegen had signed the necessary documents. “The disciplinary case is now closed, and he regains the first-team captaincy with immediate effect,” the statement said.

Earlier that day, Ter Stegen defended himself in a post on Instagram.
“Many things have been said about me recently—some are completely untrue,” he wrote.
He confirmed he was ready to work with the club and had no intention of holding back any required documents.

Ter Stegen also pointed out that his surgery was approved by the club and was done for health reasons. He stated it had nothing to do with the registration of new players or the club’s financial situation.
“My commitment to this club is total,” he added.

Despite his return as captain, Ter Stegen faces competition for his position. Young goalkeeper Joan Garcia and veteran Wojciech Szczesny, who filled in last season, are both in the squad for the new season.

Barcelona continues to face financial challenges as the new La Liga season approaches, and they may struggle to register all new players due to financial fair play regulations.