Source:REUTERS/Albert Gea
[Saba Sports News] According to Spanish media reports, Marc-Andre ter Stegen claimed he would be out for three months, intentionally preventing Barcelona from freeing up salary space. The tug-of-war between Barcelona and the German goalkeeper is not over yet. Barcelona had previously tried to force him to find a new club, but Ter Stegen has firmly refused and insists on being the first-choice goalkeeper. Now he has taken it a step further. In his statement announcing the need for surgery, Ter Stegen explicitly stated that he would be out of action for three months. This means his injury cannot be classified as a long-term injury (minimum of four months), so Barcelona cannot exempt his salary from the squad’s total wage bill under Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules. La Liga regulations allow clubs to exempt a player’s salary from the total wage if the injury requires at least four months of recovery. According to Esport3, the club’s medical department estimates that due to the recurrence of an old injury in a previously operated area, Ter Stegen’s recovery time will be between four to five months. This statement may have masked the power struggle between the goalkeeper and Barcelona’s management. If Ter Stegen’s injury lasts four months, the club could use 80% of his salary (one of the highest in the squad) to register other players.