Ter Stegen’s recent statement regarding the length of his absence will not go unnoticed by Barcelona, and the club is considering imposing a number of disciplinary measures against him.
The German goalkeeper has placed Barcelona in a major dilemma by announcing that he will only need three months to recover from back surgery, leaving the club unable to sign any new players in his place.
According to Sport, Barcelona believes Ter Stegen needs at least four to five months to recover, and the club will attempt to prove this to La Liga doctors in the hope of using this opportunity to sign Juan Garcia or Marcus Rashford.
However, Ter Stegen’s behavior has sparked widespread anger at Camp Nou. Sport indicates that many within the Catalan club’s management are currently calling for the German goalkeeper to be stripped of the captaincy, but the decision remains in the hands of coach Hansi Flick.
The disciplinary proceedings will likely not stop there. There are also many voices within Joan Laporta’s administration calling for Ter Stegen’s No. 1 jersey to be revoked and given to Joan Garcia, as a form of revenge and to pressure the German to leave immediately once he recovers.
Ter Stegen’s contract with Barcelona still runs until the summer of 2028, and the Catalans themselves hope that his dream of participating in the 2026 World Cup with the German national team was the reason for his departure last January, especially since Flick clearly informed him that he was the third-choice goalkeeper and had almost no chance of playing.
Sources close to Ter Stegen suggested that the goalkeeper intends to make a difficult move in January as part of his strategy to rebel against and pressure the management. His departure will likely be on loan, which will continue to haunt Laporta in the summer of 2026 due to his high salary.
Ter Stegen earns over €12 million per year at Barcelona, a top-tier salary, surpassed only by Robert Lewandowski’s salary.
