Marc-André ter Stegen is leaving FC Barcelona and transferring to FC Girona. What Barcelona coach Hansi Flick initially confirmed on Tuesday evening is now official.
Mid-table instead of title ambitions: Marc-André ter Stegen’s prospects will change, even though his new club is just over 100 kilometers northeast of Barcelona. The 33-year-old is moving to tenth-placed FC Girona, which has climbed out of the relegation zone after three consecutive wins. The Catalans are not competing internationally this season.
“This morning, ter Stegen said he was moving to Girona,” Flick confirmed at the press conference ahead of the Champions League match at Slavia Prague (Wednesday, 9 p.m.). “It’s the right decision and I wish him all the best. He’s a great person and a great goalkeeper. I hope he will also be successful at the World Cup.”
Flick did not provide any details about the exact terms of the contract, but Girona confirmed in the evening that the 33-year-old, who still has a contract with FC Barcelona until 2028, will be on loan until the end of the season.
From regular goalkeeper to captain
Ter Stegen moved from Borussia Mönchengladbach to Barcelona in the summer of 2014 for €12 million. Ter Stegen, who had only played in cup games, was in goal for the 3-1 Champions League victory over Juventus Turin in 2015, but did not make his La Liga debut until September 2015.
The German established himself as the number one and was unanimously elected as the new captain of the Blaugrana in August 2024. A few weeks later, he suffered a torn patellar tendon that put him out of action for several months. Inaki Pena initially took his place between the posts, followed later by Wojciech Szczesny.
The Pole’s contract was extended last summer, and the Catalans signed Joan Garcia from Espanyol Barcelona as their new number one. Ter Stegen, who had to undergo back surgery last July and was sidelined for months again, no longer played a major role in Flick’s plans. Due to his lack of playing time, his position as Germany’s number one at the 2026 World Cup is also in serious jeopardy.
Ter Stegen leaves his long-time club highly decorated after 423 competitive games. In addition to triumphing in the Champions League, he won the league and Spanish Cup six times each with Barcelona.