Barcelona have reinstated Marc-Andre ter Stegen as club captain and dropped disciplinary proceedings against the German goalkeeper, in a dramatic U-turn just 24 hours after stripping him of the armband, Afrosport reports.
The reversal, announced by the Spanish champions on Friday, follows Thursday’s ruling that Ter Stegen had been removed from the captaincy amid a dispute over his injury status.
“The Club announces that the player Marc-André ter Stegen has signed the authorisation necessary for the Club to send La Liga the medical report relating to his surgery,” a club statement read.
“The disciplinary case has been closed and the player is captain of the first team once again with immediate effect.”
The 33-year-old is expected to be sidelined for around three months after undergoing back surgery last month. However, the Germany international had reportedly declined to grant Barcelona permission to submit his medical report to La Liga — a move that allegedly prevented the club from registering their new summer signings.
La Liga’s injury rule allows a team to register a replacement depending on the length of his absence. Clubs can use 50% of their salary limit space during the transfer window to register another player, and it could go as high as 80% if the absence is for more than five months.
Reports suggested Barcelona could have reduced 80% of Ter Stegen’s wages until mid-season if he were deemed a long-term absentee, but the goalkeeper’s public statement that he would return within three months meant this threshold could be under danger.
The Catalan giants have now confirmed that the goalkeeper has given his consent for the medical report to be sent to the league’s governing body.
Ter Stegen on Friday returned to social media to clarify the ongoing battle with the club, stating that he was “fully willing to collaborate with the club’s management to resolve this matter and to provide the requested authorisation”.
Furthermore, he revealed that reports of his absence being used as a tool to register new players was “both unfair and inaccurate”.
“I would also like to clarify that all of the club’s signings and contract renewals were completed prior to my surgery,” he said.
“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 whom I greatly respect and look forward to share [a] locker room with for many seasons.
“I understand that difficult moments can generate tension, but I trust that, through dialogue and responsibility, we can resolve this situation constructively.”
Barcelona are grappling with registration issues for summer arrivals Joan García, Marcus Rashford and Roony Bardghji, with the new La Liga season set to begin away to Mallorca on Saturday, 16 August.
Ter Stegen, meanwhile, continues to be a central figure at Camp Nou since his arrival from Borussia Monchengladbach in May 2014. He has made over 400 appearances for the Catalan giants, lifting 17 trophies — including six La Liga titles and a Champions League crown.
The German endured a difficult 2024–25 campaign, missing most of the season with a right knee injury. He featured in just nine matches across all competitions last term, including two of Barcelona’s final five league fixtures.
