Mansion Sports – Barcelona have officially announced the removal of Marc-André ter Stegen from his role as the first-team captain, following the club’s decision to initiate disciplinary proceedings against the German goalkeeper.

The 33-year-old had worn the armband since the departure of Sergio Busquets in 2023. The move comes amid a dispute between Ter Stegen and the club’s management over his future, as well as Barcelona’s attempt to invoke La Liga’s injury regulation to register his replacement, Joan Garcia.

To date, Barcelona have been unable to register Garcia—signed from Espanyol for €25 million—or Wojciech Szczęsny, despite the Polish goalkeeper having already signed a new contract.

Official Statement from Barcelona

On Thursday afternoon, Barcelona released an official statement after earlier reports suggested head coach Hansi Flick supported the decision to strip Ter Stegen of the captaincy. Last week, Flick indicated that the team’s captain would be determined via a player vote.

In the club’s official announcement, Barcelona confirmed that due to the ongoing disciplinary process involving Marc-André ter Stegen, and until the matter is fully resolved, the club—acting in agreement with the Sporting Directorate and the coaching staff—had decided to temporarily revoke his status as first-team captain.

During this period, current vice-captain Ronald Araújo will serve as the acting first captain.

Reasons Behind the Disciplinary Action

The disciplinary proceedings were launched on Tuesday after Barcelona learned that Ter Stegen had refused to grant permission for his medical report to be sent to La Liga.

Last week, the goalkeeper underwent surgery and is expected to be sidelined for four to five months. 

In theory, this situation would allow Barcelona to use 50% of Ter Stegen’s salary cap space to register a replacement player.

However, La Liga requires an official medical report to verify the injury before approving the use of the injury regulation. Since medical information is private, Ter Stegen’s consent is necessary for submission.

It remains unclear whether the club can impose formal sanctions, but this step reflects management’s belief that Ter Stegen is deliberately obstructing the process.

Temporary Changes to the Captaincy Structure

Under normal circumstances, Frenkie de Jong—Barcelona’s senior vice-captain—would be next in line to inherit the armband.

However, the club has announced that Ronald Araújo will take over the captaincy in the interim.

Interestingly, the official statement specified that this decision was made with the agreement of both the coaching staff and the Sporting Directorate, indicating that both Director of Football Deco and head coach Hansi Flick endorsed the move.

As of now, there is no indication of when the dispute will be resolved. Ter Stegen has shown no signs of reversing his decision, and beyond removing the armband, Barcelona appear to have limited leverage to compel the goalkeeper’s cooperation.