Ter Stegen wants regular minutes ahead of World Cup but it might prove difficult after falling out with manager Hansi Flick
Marc-Andre ter Stegen could be on his way out of Barcelona after tensions escalated between the club captain and head coach Hansi Flick.
Both men already had a strained relationship dating back to Flick’s time as Germany manager, but it has deteriorated further this year.
The 33-year-old goalkeeper returned from a long-term knee injury in May but was benched for the second leg of Barcelona’s Champions League semi-final against Inter Milan. Flick opted to stick with Wojciech Szczesny, who had deputised during Ter Stegen’s absence.
The decision reportedly left Ter Stegen deeply frustrated. Unlike other sidelined players who travelled to support the team in Milan, the German international stayed in Barcelona and trained alone, a move that did not sit well with club officials, according to SPORT. Flick has especially emphasised team spirit and the power of the collective since he arrived at Barcelona.
The situation adds further context to Barcelona’s aggressive pursuit of Espanyol’s Joan Garcia, a deal that is expected to be finalised shortly. With Garcia tipped to become the new No 1 and Szczesny possibly remaining as backup, Ter Stegen could find himself relegated to third-choice, a position that would seriously affect his chances of starting for Germany at the 2026 World Cup.
Barcelona are open to facilitating an exit, possibly even offering a lump-sum payout equivalent to a year’s salary for the goalkeeper to terminate his contract. However, the club do not expect Ter Stegen to accept such an arrangement easily.
