FC Barcelona made a big fuss on Wednesday when they “unveiled” their new goalkeeper: the signing of Joan Garcia does not make things any easier for Marc-André ter Stegen. Now Victor Font, a former presidential candidate, has publicly expressed his displeasure at the treatment of the long-standing first-choice keeper.
If there was one position where FC Barcelona had no problems in recent years, it was between the posts. Marc-André ter Stegen won games for the Catalans – and ultimately titles too. But after the German national goalkeeper’s lengthy injury layoff, those in charge clearly have new plans.
On Wednesday, the new regular goalkeeper was announced with great fanfare. As had been rumored for weeks, Barcelona paid city rivals Espanyol €26.3 million to pry Joan Garcia away. At 24, the Catalan-born player is no longer just a promise for the future.
“A guarantee for the present and an even brighter future,” as FC Barcelona itself put it in its press release. But what will happen now to ter Stegen, who had deliberately blocked advances from other top European clubs in the past?
Will ter Stegen no longer play a role in the preseason?
The club-affiliated Mundo Deportivo is already predicting that the former Gladbach player will not play a major role in the preseason. In competitive games, he will probably be used as a rotation keeper at most – for example in the Copa del Rey. Far too little for ter Stegen, who wants to cement his status as number one under national coach Julian Nagelsmann with a view to the 2026 World Cup finals. On the pitch and with performances
In Barcelona, he will probably not be allowed to do so. This is something that many find hard to swallow. Including former FCB presidential candidate Victor Font. “Our captain is not being treated correctly by the club,” he rumbled on Catalunya Radio, adding: “It is reprehensible that a player who has been with the club for so long is being harassed in this way and that he has to find out everything from the press. What they are doing to him is bullying.”
It was not without reason that Nagelsmann recently made a public appeal to Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick during the Nations League: “I would hope, also because of the past of individual protagonists and their connection to the DFB and Marc, that he gets some information about how things will continue.”
Ter Stegen remained relaxed until the end
Ter Stegen had recently appeared relaxed among his national team colleagues. He explained: “Nobody has spoken to me. I know that I will be in Barcelona next year. I am really looking forward to next season because we have a great team that is young, dynamic, and hungry.”
With ter Stegen’s contract expiring in 2028, his sale is a distinct possibility and would allow Barcelona to create space in its salary structure in line with financial fair play rules. This would enable the club to secure deals such as the one with Nico Williams. Wojciech Szczesny, who deputized excellently for the German keeper during his long enforced break, is set to extend his contract by a year and provide support for Joan Garcia.
