MADRID (AP) — Barcelona has temporarily stripped captain goalkeeper Mark Andreterstegen for refusing to sign a medical report on his back injury.
The club said Thursday that central defender Ronald Araujo will act as first-team captain until further notice.
“Following the disciplinary process open to player Mark Andre Ter Stegen, until this issue is clearly resolved, the club has decided to temporarily withdraw its role as the first team captain, through a sporting direction and mutual agreement with the coaching staff,” Barcelona said in a statement.
It was in the club Disciplinary procedure has begun against goalkeeper Tuesday after a contradiction over how long he recovered from a lumbar surgery that Ter Stegen successfully performed last week.
Barcelona had to sign an injury report so that it would be sent to the Spanish league to clear the pay cap space and make it easier for the club to register other players without violating financial fair play rules.
Ter Stegen said the recovery time would be about three months prior to the surgery. The club did not provide an official timetable for the recovery process. The operation was “successful” And “his recovery will determine when he can return.”
Depending on the length of the recovery process, Barcelona was able to clear Ter Stegen’s salary percentage from the cap, giving more room to add other players to their team.
The league must evaluate the report before approving the formal recovery time.
club Signed Espanyol goalkeeper Joan García in June. Other goalkeepers are veterans Wojciech Szczęsny and Iñaki Peña.
According to Spanish media, Ter Stegen met briefly with Barcelona officials this week.
The 33-year-old German goalkeeper missed almost everything from last season after a tendon burst into his knee, and in 2023 he missed about two months due to another back operation. Pena and 35-year-old szczęsny started in place of Tel Stegen last season.
Defending Spanish league champion Barcelona returned to Spain on Tuesday after completing a preseason tour in Asia.
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