Marc-André ter Stegen has secured his position as the starting goalkeeper for the German national team, following a period of injury and competition.
The 34-year-old, who recently moved from FC Barcelona to Ajax Amsterdam, has been designated as the first choice by head coach Jürgen Klopp, DIE WELT reported.
After missing the previous summer’s World Cup due to injury, ter Stegen is returning to a central role in a team looking to move past recent competitive struggles. He said that the trust shown by Klopp provides him with a sense of value to the squad when playing at full fitness.
“It feels extremely good to feel such confidence being placed in me,” ter Stegen told DIE WELT. “It shows me that when I am fit, I am an added value for the team.”
Tactical alignment with Jürgen Klopp
The veteran goalkeeper said that while previous managers like Hansi Flick also employed high defensive lines, the specific requirements under Klopp’s system felt distinct during early training sessions.
The era of Manuel Neuer
For much of his international career, ter Stegen operated in the shadow of Manuel Neuer, a rivalry that defined a specific era of German goalkeeping. He addressed the difficulty of competing with a player he considers one of the greatest in the history of the position.
“It is simply that Manuel Neuer is not just a great goalkeeper. We mustn’t deceive ourselves about that: He is probably one of the best goalkeepers of all time,” ter Stegen said. He said that Neuer’s standing in the national team was well-deserved, though injuries eventually limited his availability.
Ter Stegen admitted to experiencing frustration during the years he spent on the sidelines. “Did I sometimes have to clench my fist in my pocket? Did I sometimes curse without anyone listening? Certainly!” he told DIE WELT.
He also recalled the 2018 World Cup as a “bitter moment,” referring to the decision by then-coach Joachim Löw to select Neuer despite the latter having been sidelined for eight months without match practice.
Recovery and the path to the World Cup
The goalkeeper’s absence from recent major tournaments was driven by a series of physical setbacks. He reflected on the difficulty of timing a comeback, noting that he felt he was only a month away from being ready for the previous World Cup cycle.
Ter Stegen said that reaching the level required for international competition demands more than 90 or 95 percent fitness. “In the end, you can’t take the risk—not for your health, but also out of respect for your teammates,” he said, explaining that the lack of match practice made those final percentage points of readiness impossible to achieve.
Currently, ter Stegen is finding stability in the Netherlands. Since joining Ajax Amsterdam on loan from FC Barcelona, he has adapted to life in Amsterdam by trading his previous habit of using an e-scooter for a bicycle. He said that while cycling in the Netherlands requires high concentration due to fast-moving traffic, it has become his primary mode of transport.
Regarding his future in Spain, ter Stegen remains non-committal about a return to FC Barcelona. Although he is under contract with the Catalan club until 2028, he said that he maintains a close connection to the club after 12 years there but is focusing on his current goals at Ajax. “We are only in November, so I really cannot say what will happen in the summer,” he told DIE WELT.
Looking toward Euro 2028
“I am in a moment where I just want to enjoy everything,” ter Stegen said. “So many times in my career, I thought: This happens next season, this happens at the next tournament. In the end, you then have an injury and say: Wow, that wasn’t in my plan.”
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