A paperwork dispute over Marc-Andre Ter Stegen’s injury has cracked open a leadership void at Barcelona, with the German goalkeeper temporarily stripped of his captaincy in a rare public clash between player and club, according to Daily Sabah.
The defending La Liga champions announced Thursday that 26-year-old Uruguayan defender Ronald Araujo will take over the armband “until the matter is definitively resolved,” ending – for now – Ter Stegen’s role as first-team captain, a position he has held since the summer of 2023.
"Following the disciplinary proceedings opened against player Marc-Andre ter Stegen, and until this matter is definitively resolved, the club, by mutual agreement with the sporting direction and the coaching staff, has decided to temporarily withdraw his role as first-team captain," Barcelona said in a statement.
At the heart of the standoff is Barcelona’s need to submit an official medical report to La Liga confirming Ter Stegen’s expected recovery period following lower back surgery performed last week.
Under the league’s financial fair play rules, a club can temporarily exclude a percentage of a long-term injured player’s wages from the salary cap if they are ruled out for at least four months – space that could be used to register new signings or renew key contracts.
Ter Stegen, 33, reportedly told club doctors before the operation that he expected to return in about three months – a timeframe too short for maximum salary-cap relief.
Barcelona’s official statement on the surgery avoided any mention of a target date, saying only that his return “will depend on rehabilitation progress.”
Club officials sought his signature to finalize the report for submission to La Liga, but Ter Stegen refused, according to sources familiar with the matter, concerned that a longer official timeline could create a misleading impression about his fitness and jeopardize his role later in the season.
The disagreement comes at a sensitive moment for Barcelona, whose finances remain under the microscope.
Saddled with heavy debt and bound by La Liga’s strict spending controls, the Catalan giants have little room to maneuver.
Ter Stegen is one of the highest earners in the squad, and freeing even part of his salary could prove decisive in the final weeks of the transfer window.
The decision to hand the armband to Araujo – reached in agreement with manager Hansi Flick and the club’s sporting department – reflects the seriousness of the rift.
Spanish outlets report that Ter Stegen held a brief meeting with senior officials earlier this week in an attempt to find common ground.
The club has confirmed disciplinary proceedings are ongoing, with no sign yet of a breakthrough.
