Barcelona Ditch Marc-andré Ter Stegen As Captain Over Medical Dispute

Barcelona stripped Marc-André ter Stegen of nan captaincy connected Thursday arsenic a feud escalated betwixt nan Germany goalkeeper and nan nine complete his wounded position amid attempts to registry signings.

The defending La Liga champions signed nan 24-year-old goalkeeper Joan García from cross-city rivals Espanyol past month, pinch nan nine astir apt expecting to waste Ter Stegen, 33, to make abstraction successful their costs measure for García and the Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford.

However, Ter Stegen needed much room to decorativeness repairing a aggregate knee ligament tear sustained past season, stopping him from leaving successful nan summertime transportation model and forcing Barcelona to effort a different approach.

The nine asked Ter Stegen to motion a semipermanent aesculapian time off that would let them to clear 80% of his wages until mid-season, and comply pinch La Liga’s financial adjacent play rules. But Ter Stegen’s announcement connected societal media that he would beryllium sidelined for 3 months irked nan guidance because nan title rules require a subordinate to stay retired of action for astatine slightest 4 months to beryllium considered a semipermanent injury.

“FC Barcelona announces that, pursuing nan disciplinary proceedings opened against subordinate Marc-André ter Stegen, and until this matter is definitively resolved, nan club, successful statement pinch nan sports guidance and nan method staff, has decided to temporarily region him arsenic skipper of nan first team,” a connection said. “During this period, nan duties of first-team skipper will beryllium assumed by nan existent vice-captain, Ronald Araújo.”

The contention highlights Barcelona’s financial struggles arsenic they person battled to registry signings for respective years running. The nine statesman their La Liga title defence connected 16 August astatine Mallorca.