FOOTBALL – Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen hit back at suggestions he is to blame for the club’s inability to register new players, insisting yesterday that his back surgery and recovery timeline were fully approved by the Spanish champions.
The 33-year-old German’s three-month rehabilitation schedule has created an unexpected headache for Barcelona, who had hoped to use his injury to ease their Financial Fair Play constraints under LaLiga rules.
Barcelona had asked him to sign a long-term medical leave that would allow them to clear 80 per cent of his wages until mid-season and comply with LaLiga’s Financial Fair Play rules, thereby allowing them to register new players.
But Ter Stegen’s announcement on social media that he would be sidelined for only three months irked the club management as LaLiga rules require a player to remain out of action for at least four months to be considered a long-term injury.
“The decision to undergo surgery was made after consultation with medical professionals and fully approved by the club,” Ter Stegen said in a statement on Instagram, a day after he was stripped of the club’s captaincy.
“Moreover, I announced publicly the minimum recovery timing that I shall need after that, which had been communicated to me by most reputed experts and always in coordination with the club.”
Barca signed 24-year-old goalkeeper Joan Garcia from local rivals Espanyol last month while Marcus Rashford was signed on loan from Manchester United.
However, both players are yet to be registered with the new LaLiga season kicking off on August 15.
“I would also like to clarify - in light of certain speculation - that all of the club’s signings and contract renewals were completed prior to my surgery,” Ter Stegen added.
“Therefore at no point could I consider that my unfortunate circumstances with the new surgery I had to undergo would be necessary for the registration of other colleagues... Any alternative interpretation seems both unfair and inaccurate to me.
“I understand that difficult moments can generate tension, but I trust through dialogue and responsibility we can resolve this situation constructively. I am fully willing to collaborate with the club’s management to resolve the matter and provide the requested authorization.”
The controversy highlights Barcelona’s financial struggles as they battle to register new signings once again.
Last season, the club approached Spain’s National Sports Council to allow them to field Dani Olmo and Pau Victor until the end of the season after LaLiga said they did not have the capacity to register the two players based on their accounts.
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