Barcelona Stars Rally Behind Ter Stegen as Captaincy Vote Looms

Team leaders have backed their captain in response to squad restructuring that prompted a player vote on the armband.

Overview

Hansi Flick has deferred the decision on the captaincy to a player vote ahead of the 2025-26 season.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen will miss the start of the campaign after undergoing back surgery that sidelines him for roughly three months.
Frenkie de Jong and Ferran Torres initially defended Ter Stegen and have been joined by Raphinha, Gavi and Pau Cubarsi in publicly supporting his continued leadership.
Ter Stegen is resisting Barcelona’s push to relegate him to third-choice goalkeeper status following the signing of Joan Garcia.
His announcement of a three-month recovery period was seen as a tactic to block an emergency injury rule the club could use to free up salary space for Garcia.