Barcelona Initiates Disciplinary Action Against Ter Stegen

Madrid, Aug 5 (AP) Barcelona has initiated a disciplinary process against goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen after he allegedly refused to sign a medical report related to his back injury, according to a source familiar with the situation. The source spoke to the Associated Press on Tuesday under the condition of anonymity due to not being authorized to address the matter publicly.

The club required Ter Stegen's signature on the medical report in order to submit it to the Spanish league. This step was necessary to free up salary-cap space and facilitate the registration of additional players without breaching financial fair play regulations. However, there seems to be a disagreement between the club and Ter Stegen regarding the timeline for his recovery following back surgery performed last week.

Prior to the surgery, Ter Stegen estimated a recovery period of approximately three months. Meanwhile, the club refrained from providing an official recovery timetable. Instead, it announced that the surgery was “successful” and that “his recovery will determine when he can return.” Depending on the official recovery period, Barcelona could potentially remove a portion of Ter Stegen’s salary from its cap, allowing more room to include other players on the roster.

Barcelona signed goalkeeper Joan García from Espanyol in June. The club's other goalkeeping options are veteran Wojciech Szczesny and Iñaki Peña. The league needs to assess the medical report before approving the official recovery duration.

Ter Stegen, one of the captains of the team, hasn’t commented publicly since the announcement of the disciplinary action. He and the club are expected to hold discussions in the coming days. The 33-year-old German goalkeeper missed most of last season due to a tendon rupture in his knee, and earlier in 2023, he was sidelined for about two months after another back operation. During his absence, Peña and the 35-year-old Szczesny filled in as starters.

Details regarding potential sanctions for Ter Stegen’s refusal to sign the report are currently unclear. Barcelona, the reigning Spanish league champion, returned to Spain on Tuesday after concluding a preseason tour in Asia. (AP)

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