Barcelona kicked off pre-season on Sunday with a friendly match against Vissel Kobe in Japan.
The match saw Hansi Flick had new signing Joan Garcia his first-team debut following his summer move from Espanyol.
It was also interesting to see Barcelona hand Garcia the No.1 shirt - that previously belonged to club captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen - for the match.
El Barça ha vestido a Joan Garcia con el 1 y con nombre estando Ter Stegen todavía en el club. El mensaje es claro no, lo siguiente. @VALENRICH
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— Guillem Borràs Pérez (@Guillembp01) July 27, 2025
Obviously it’s still only pre-season and these are not the final squad numbers, but the move will be interpreted by many as another clear message to the Germany international.
The move has led to suggestions that some at the club no longer want to see Ter Stegen as the club’s captain, although this is something that will be voted on by the players before the start of the new campaign.
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