Barcelona have restored Marc-Andre ter Stegen as first-team captain after the goalkeeper authorized the club to send his medical report to La Liga, closing a dispute that briefly cost him the armband.
The 33-year-old had been stripped of the captaincy on Thursday amid disagreements over the recovery period from recent lower back surgery. The club had opened disciplinary proceedings after he initially withheld consent to share the report, which was needed to free up salary-cap space for player registrations.
“These past few months have been especially difficult for me, both physically and personally,” Ter Stegen said in a social media statement, dismissing as “completely unfounded” claims that he hindered new signings. He stressed the surgery and recovery timeline were fully approved by the club and based on medical advice.
Barcelona Takes Disciplinary Action Against Ter Stegen Over Medical Report Dispute
Barcelona confirmed Friday that the matter was resolved and Ter Stegen “is captain of the first team once again with immediate effect.”
The Germany international, who missed most of last season with a knee injury and had a prior back operation in 2023, said his “commitment to these colors remains absolute” and that any suggestion his surgery was linked to registering new players was “unfair and inaccurate.”
Barcelona, the defending Spanish league champions, will play Italian side Como in their final preseason game on Sunday before opening their league campaign at Mallorca next Saturday.
Source: Agency