MADRID (AP) — Barcelona can sign up for the new season with newly signed goalkeeper Joan Garcia for the new season after the Spanish league confirmed Mark Andreterstegen’s long-term injury, the club said Wednesday.
The verdict allows Barcelona to clear pay cap space and register other players more easily without violating the Finance Fair Play Rules.
“Barcelona has announced that the Laliga Medical Board has determined that goalkeeper Mark Andre Ter Stegen’s injury meets the long-term injury standards established by current regulations,” he said. “The club will proceed tomorrow to officially register player Joan García.”
The length of the injury sparked The controversy between Barcelona and Ter Stegeninitially refused to sign a medical report that Catalan clubs had to send to the league.
The 33-year-old goalkeeper said it would take about three months to recover from a lower back surgery last month. However, the club wanted to add him to the long-term injury list, saying it would take time.
After Ter Stegen refused to sign the club opened disciplinary proceedings and stripped him of his captain. He resurrected him after he signed the report last week.
After signing the report, Ter Stegen said he had no intention of making it difficult for Barcelona to sign new players, and wanted them to return to action as soon as possible. He said, “The last few months have been particularly difficult for me, both physically and personally.”
Ter Stegen missed almost everything from last season due to a knee injury, and in 2023 he missed about two months for another back operation. Iñaki Peña and veteran Wojciech Szczęsny started in place of last season’s Ter Stegen.
club Signed Espanyol goalkeeper Garcia in June.
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