Barca running out of patience with Ter Stegen

Marc-André ter Stegen faces an uncertain future at Barcelona.

No longer a purely technical matter, the crisis between Ter Stegen and Barca has turned into an economic problem - and also a test of the club's loyalty, financial reality and sporting vision.

From icon to burden

At 33, Ter Stegen is still one of the world's best goalkeepers with his feet. But that is no longer enough to ensure the number one position in the Camp Nou goal.

In the last two seasons, constant injuries have caused him to lose his stability and form. And with a top salary at the club and three years left on his contract, Ter Stegen is now seen as more of a burden than a pillar.

Barca, in a prolonged financial crisis, cannot continue to maintain the same wage structure. They need to cut, need to rejuvenate, and need to bet on the future.

Joan Garcia, the goalkeeper the club has invested in and trusted, is the name chosen to lead the defense in the coming years. This change is not a hidden message, but a clear statement: Ter Stegen's time is over.

Ter Stegen is said to still want to stay at Barcelona.

Ter Stegen is said to still want to stay at Barcelona, competing for the starting position. He understands the environment, loves the club, and wants to continue to contribute.

However, Barca are no longer in a position to “favor” loyalty. Financial survival, especially in the context of tightening Financial Fair Play regulations, forces them to make cold decisions.

Although not directly pressuring, the club's leadership made it clear: he would not be the number one choice. Keeping the German star as the second goalkeeper with a sky-high salary is untenable. Barca's current situation does not allow them to keep a "super sub".

Pressure from all sides

Not only from the club, Ter Stegen himself is also under pressure from his home country. Legend Lothar Matthäus recently warned that if Ter Stegen still wants to play for Germany at the 2026 World Cup, he will have to find a new destination - where he can play regularly and maintain his form. Because at Barcelona, that is almost impossible.

From this perspective, Ter Stegen is in a difficult situation: if he stays, he will lose his starting position and the opportunity to attend the World Cup, if he leaves, he will have to accept leaving the place where he has spent his entire career at the top, and possibly a significant reduction in income.

Ter Stegen is still one of the best goalkeepers with his feet in the world.

The biggest paradox in this story is that it is Barca who have the bigger problem. Ter Stegen has a contract until 2028. If he cannot be sold, they will have to continue paying his huge salary.

If they sell, they will need to convince Ter Stegen, who has every right to refuse to leave. And if they do not resolve the matter thoroughly, the club will be tied in the transfer market and lose financial flexibility.

Clearly, this is no longer a story about a goalkeeper and his team. This is a typical manifestation of the post-Messi crisis. Barca have not yet been able to clean up the financial consequences of the past, and now they are forced to sacrifice their icons to survive.

The end of a dynasty sometimes comes not from a defeat or an administrative decision, but from moments like this - when someone once considered irreplaceable suddenly becomes part of the equation that needs to be eliminated. For Ter Stegen, this could be the final bell to ring in a beautiful chapter at Camp Nou. And for Barca, the upcoming decision will say a lot about the direction they are taking in the new era: rebuilding with reason, or continuing to be stuck in nostalgia?

Source: https://znews.vn/barca-can-kiet-kien-nhan-voi-ter-stegen-post1569074.html