Barcelona Reinstates Ter Stegen as Captain After Fitness Dispute

By Ugbede James

Barcelona have reinstated goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen as club captain, ending a dispute over the German international’s fitness that had briefly cost him the armband.

The 33-year-old was stripped of the captaincy on Thursday after a row with club management over his medical records, following back surgery in late July. Local media reported that Ter Stegen had initially refused to release his medical details, prompting Barcelona to seek a La Liga classification of him as a long-term injury — a move that would have allowed the club to reduce his official wage bill.

In a late-night statement on Friday, Barcelona confirmed the matter was resolved.

“The disciplinary file is considered closed and the player regains the first team captaincy with immediate effect,” the club said.

Ter Stegen took to Instagram earlier in the day to reject “entirely unfounded” claims about his conduct, stressing that he was willing to cooperate with management. He noted that his surgery had been fully approved by the club and was undertaken to protect both his health and Barcelona’s long-term interests.

He also dismissed suggestions that his injury was linked to the club’s ongoing financial fair play challenges, which threaten the registration of new signings.

“My commitment to these colours remains absolute,” he wrote, adding that he looked forward to sharing the dressing room with his teammates “for many seasons.”

The goalkeeper now faces competition for his place from 24-year-old summer signing Joan García and 35-year-old Wojciech Szczęsny, who earned a contract extension after stepping in during last season’s title-winning campaign.