Spanish media revealed that Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen was prevented from voting in Sunday’s presidential elections after failing to update his club membership information.
The 33-year-old was among thousands who flocked to the Spotify Camp Nou stadium to vote for either Joan Laporta or Victor Font for the Catalan club’s next president.
However, the German player faced an embarrassing situation; after waiting for five minutes, it turned out his name was not on the electoral register, preventing him from casting his vote.
It’s worth noting that all players are granted membership – known as “socios” – upon joining Barcelona, but it is their responsibility to ensure their membership remains active. The source confirmed that Ter Stegen’s membership had not been updated, and therefore his name was not on the list.
The German goalkeeper is currently on loan at Girona, although he is currently sidelined with an injury.
The electoral register includes 114,504 members, and many current and former players cast their votes on Sunday, including Barcelona women’s team players Aitana Bonmatí and Laia Aleixandri, as well as defender Héctor Fort, currently on loan at Elche, and former stars Sergio Busquets, Xavi Hernández, Guillermo Amor, and Carles Rexach.
Laporta secured a resounding victory in the election with over 60% of the vote, retaining his position as president of the Catalan club for another five years.
