The situation at FC Barcelona surrounding Marc-André ter Stegen has reached a stalemate. Because the German national goalkeeper did not sign a medical report for the league, the Catalans have called in their legal department.
Mundo Deportivo reported on Tuesday that the dispute between FC Barcelona and its goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen has escalated to a new level. The sports media outlet, which is close to the renowned Catalan club, writes of “sources close to the German goalkeeper” who claim that ter Stegen (33) has not signed a declaration of consent. The statement includes comments about the severity of the Barca pro’s shoulder injury and the type of treatment he received.
FC Barcelona must report the severity of the injury to La Liga’s medical commission. As the player is said to have refused to sign, Barca has decided to refer the case to its legal department to initiate disciplinary proceedings against him. This was confirmed by a club spokesperson to the dpa. If the lawyers agree, this could lead to internal sanctions against ter Stegen, provided the board approves.
Reminder of the Dani Olmo case
This tricky situation is, of course, also about a lot of money. Depending on the severity of the injury and the length of time he is out of action (four months or longer), FC Barcelona could use 80 percent of the goalkeeper’s salary for so-called salary fair play purposes. This was already an issue last summer when Dani Olmo was registered for competition. At the time, the club’s medical commission confirmed that player Andreas Christensen was suffering from a long-term injury that could last longer than four months. Dani Olmo was therefore able to be registered. In ter Stegen’s case, it is about the registration of new goalkeeper Joan Garcia.
Ter Stegen, who reported three months of downtime in a social media post, does not have to sign the report. His medical data is a private matter. According to the report, no FC Barcelona player has ever refused to disclose their medical data in a similar case. Personal talks between the club and the player are to follow after his return from the Asian tour.
