Jakarta –
Coach Barcelona Hansi Flick confirm Marc-Andre ter Stegen must decide for himself whether he wants to stay at Camp Nou or not. Because the main goalkeeper position belongs to Joan Garcia.
Ter Stegen has not appeared for a single minute this season as he is recovering from a back injury. He has returned to the Barca squad in two matches this month against Eintracht Frankfurt and Osasuna, but is only a backup for Garcia.
If it continues, this condition could threaten Ter Stegen’s chances of being taken by the German national team to the 2026 World Cup. Moreover, Die Mannschaft coach Julian Nagelsmann once advised that he would only consider Ter Stegen if he played regularly.
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Moving in the January transfer market could be an option for Ter Stegen to get playing minutes. But whether that will happen or not, Flick leaves it all up to the 33 year old goalkeeper.
“This is his decision. We have talked about the situation and I really respect Marc because he is a fantastic goalkeeper,” said Flick at the weekend, quoted by ESPN.
He is a very good player for us, also a good person for the team. But in the end it’s his decision and he gets to decide, so that’s it.”
Flick also has not guaranteed whether Ter Stegen will be the main choice when Barcelona faces fourth division team Guadalajara in the last 32 of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday (17/12/2025) at 03.00 WIB. Garcia will be rested in that match.
“Of course, Marc is a fantastic goalkeeper. In goal, we have three extraordinary players. I’m happy with the situation. We’ll see what happens.”
“But it’s clear what was said before. Joan is number one. From there, we’ll see what happens. Tek (Szczęsny) played fantastic last season, we won three titles with him. Also when Joan was injured this season, he gave us stability.”
“For me, Tech is an important player for us, not only on the pitch, but also in the dressing room,” stressed Flick.
(adp/pur)
