The 2025 summer transfer window brought plenty of controversy and tense moments for FC Barcelona, not only in their dealings with external transfers but also in the internal issues surrounding their own squad.
Perhaps the most striking situation revolved around their long-serving goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen.
The German international, who has been a key figure at the club for nearly a decade, unexpectedly found himself at the center of a storm after being temporarily stripped of his captaincy. The reason behind this drastic move was tied to his initial refusal to assist the club in de-registering him from the squad list.
Barcelona had been locked in a battle with time to register new signing Joan Garcia ahead of their La Liga season opener against Mallorca.
Because of financial restrictions and registration rules, the club sought a solution that would allow Garcia to be included in the squad. With Ter Stegen sidelined due to a recent surgery he underwent to address a troublesome back injury, Barcelona proposed that he be temporarily de-registered.
This, they felt, was the most viable option. However, Ter Stegen initially resisted the plan, blocking the club’s attempts. Eventually, though, he gave in, allowing the registration process to move forward.
The episode left a bitter taste on both sides, leading to what many described as bad blood between the player and the club hierarchy. Fortunately, after a series of discussions, the matter has been resolved.
Reflecting on the saga, Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick shared his thoughts in an interview with SportBild (as cited by Sport). Flick openly admitted that the whole situation could have been managed more effectively, both by himself and others involved.
“Was everything regarding communication handled in the best way? Certainly not,” Flick conceded. “There is still a lot of room for improvement, even from my side.
What matters now is that Marc and the club have made the effort to reach out to each other and establish proper communication. His return is important to us, because he remains a world-class goalkeeper. We will give him all the support necessary so that he can perform again at the high level we know he is capable of.”
Part of the friction also stemmed from a decision taken earlier in the summer: Barcelona had already chosen Joan Garcia, formerly of Espanyol, as their new first-choice goalkeeper.
This naturally led to tension, as Ter Stegen had long been undisputed in that role. Flick explained why the young Spaniard had been entrusted with the position.
“With Joan Garcia, we have a goalkeeper who is still very young but extremely talented,” Flick said. “He is already operating at a very high level, and together we decided that he should represent the future of Barcelona. From our perspective, the plan was very clear.”
