Marc-André ter Stegen was present at FC Barcelona’s season opener, but did his exercises away from the group. No explanation was given by the club.
FC Barcelona’s first training session was scheduled for Monday afternoon. Marc-André ter Stegen was only seen on the sidelines: the 33-year-old completed a session in the gym and trained away from the group, as the club announced. However, Barcelona did not provide an explanation for his absence.
A total of 36 players were present at the start of training, having undergone medical tests on Sunday morning. The team will train in Barcelona until July 24, when they will depart for their Asian tour. Their first friendly match is scheduled for July 27 against Japanese club Vissel Kobe.
Also present on Monday were new signings Roony Bardghji and keeper Joan Garcia, who is apparently set to usher in a new era in goal for Barcelona. The 24-year-old joined the Catalans from city rivals Espanyol for €26.3 million. Wojciech Szczesny is also ahead of the German in the goalkeeping pecking order.
Captain ter Stegen, on the other hand, is apparently set to leave the club. The German national goalkeeper has not yet commented publicly on the matter. His contract with FC Barcelona is valid until June 30, 2028. The cash-strapped Catalans are likely to want to save the DFB keeper’s lavish salary in order to have more leeway in terms of financial fair play.
Many options for ter Stegen
It is unclear what the future holds for ter Stegen. René Adler is not the only one advising him to move in order not to jeopardize his chances of playing for Germany in the 2026 World Cup. In the Premier League, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Newcastle are at least keeping an eye on the goalkeeper market, and AS Monaco from France is said to have signaled interest.
Galatasaray, Leroy Sané’s new club, is also looking for a new number 1 following the departure of Fernando Muslera.