While Barcelona was planning to exploit a legal loophole that would allow it to manage the absence of one of its most prominent players, the club’s management encountered an unexpected obstacle from within the dressing room, in a development that observers described as “unprecedented” in the club’s history of handling player injuries.
The decision everyone was waiting for did not come — and the reason was shocking. A figure of his stature and leadership within the team suddenly chose to go against the grain, refusing to sign an official document that would have facilitated the club’s player registration process and ensured compliance with Financial Fair Play regulations.
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The subject here is German goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, who surprised everyone by refusing to sign his official medical report. This document was supposed to be submitted to the Spanish League’s medical committee to activate the “long-term injury” clause, which would have allowed Barcelona to temporarily register new goalkeeper Juan García as his replacement. According to the Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, this refusal disrupted the club’s plans to release a significant portion of Ter Stegen’s salary — up to 80% — as part of the temporary injury replacement mechanism, causing a financial and organizational setback for the team at a critical time.
The crisis did not remain behind closed doors; it erupted in full view of officials. While Laporta and football director Deco were attending a friendly match against South Korea’s Daegu FC, the pair received a direct refusal from the German goalkeeper, who remained firm despite attempts to persuade him.
While the club president maintained a calm front in the media, sources within Barcelona confirmed that the club’s management had already launched a formal disciplinary investigation into Ter Stegen for deliberately obstructing a legal procedure that served the team’s interests. Leaks indicate that Barcelona considers the incident a breach of contract from an organizational standpoint, even though Ter Stegen is invoking his right to withhold his medical data.
What’s particularly notable is that the tension between the two sides isn’t a recent development; rather, it has been brewing for months, marked by statements and actions that displeased the club’s leadership and fueled speculation about the possibility of selling the goalkeeper or even stripping him of the captaincy in the near future.
The Spanish newspaper also reported that Ter Stegen may have intentionally misrepresented the length of his expected absence, stating it would be only three months, while Barcelona needed at least four months to activate the financial compensation clause.
Ter Stegen’s refusal not only affects Barcelona’s technical plans for the upcoming season but also carries legal and financial ramifications that could trigger a major escalation. Given the player’s silence and Laporta’s unnerving composure, the coming days will be crucial in determining the future of the relationship between the two parties.
