It looks like FC Barcelona and longtime starting goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen are headed to a very bitter divorce. Yesterday brought news that the Catalan club have stripped Ter Stegen of his captaincy, due to his refusal to sign a medical report about his own back injury.
And it doesn’t stop there- Barcelona have also started disciplinary proceedings that could lead to them ultimately terminating his contract.
Joan Gamper Trophy FYIs
FC Barcelona vs Como
Johan Cruyff Stadium, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Competition: preseason exhibition
Kickoff: Sun Aug. 10, 9pm local
FC Barcelona Team News
This could get ugly. Even if he wasn’t hurt, Ter Stegen has lost his place in the squad. Joan Garcia is the new #1 and Wojciech Szczesny the new backup. Although he we are predicting that Woj gets the start here this weekend, instead of Garcia, as this is just an exhibition match, being staged at the home ground for the Barca B team and the Barca women.
Elsewhere Robert Lewandowski is injured again, and he’ll miss out on the Joan Gamper Trophy game against Como this weekend.
Beyond that, hard to say right now, as the club are being kind of stealth about the nature and extent of his injury.
Meanwhile Roony Bardghji and Marcus Rashford are still waiting on their official La Liga registrations. The regular season will be here before you know it!
Starting Lineup Prediction
Wojciech Szczesny; Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Pau Cubarsi, Alejandro Balde; Frenkie De Jong, Gavi; Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Raphinha; Pau Torres
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter