Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has confirmed Marc-Andre ter Stegen will join Girona on loan, with the goalkeeper seeking regular matches in a World Cup year while Barcelona also focus on a crucial Champions
League trip to Slavia Prague that could decide their hopes of reaching the top eight.
Ter Stegen has fallen behind Joan Garcia since the former Espanyol goalkeeper arrived in June, ending an 11-year spell as Barcelona’s undisputed starter after joining from Borussia Monchengladbach, while Girona sit 11th in LaLiga and can offer consistent league minutes at a decisive stage of Ter Stegen’s international career.
The 33-year-old aims to regain momentum after missing most of the 2024-25 campaign with a ruptured patellar tendon suffered in September 2024, an injury which forced Barcelona to bring Wojciech Szczesny out of retirement, and Ter Stegen now views Girona as the best route back into Julian Nagelsmann’s Germany plans.
Ter Stegen has featured only once this season, starting a 2-0 Copa del Rey win over Guadalajara in December, while Garcia has recorded nine clean sheets in 20 games and Szczesny has begun nine matches, numbers that underline how far Ter Stegen has slipped in Barcelona’s goalkeeping hierarchy.
Barcelona’s stance softened earlier in the season, with the club open to letting Ter Stegen depart after a dispute in which the captaincy was removed temporarily when Ter Stegen refused to provide medical data to LaLiga following a back procedure, further signalling that a summer separation was likely.
| Goalkeeper | Club 2024-25 | Competition | Appearances | Clean sheets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marc-Andre ter Stegen | Barcelona | Copa del Rey | 1 | 1 |
| Joan Garcia | Barcelona | All competitions | 20 | 9 |
| Wojciech Szczesny | Barcelona | All competitions | 9 | 0 |
At international level, Ter Stegen started Germany’s Nations League semi-final and third-place play-off last June, yet Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann played every World Cup qualifier, so Ter Stegen is now determined to change Nagelsmann’s thinking before the tournament by playing weekly for mid-table Girona.
Flick outlined how the move was communicated within the squad, explaining the decision while stressing support for Ter Stegen’s World Cup ambitions, and the coach signalled that Barcelona are planning a future based around Garcia and younger players, even as the team face a demanding Champions League schedule.
This morning, Marc told us that he was going to Girona, Flick told reporters. He's a fantastic goalkeeper, but we've decided on a different future. I think it's the right decision, I wish him the best. He is a brilliant person. He has a good chance of reaching the World Cup.
Flick on Barcelona Champions League pressure and squad options
Barcelona visit Slavia Prague in the Champions League on Wednesday, with the Catalan side 15th in a 36-team table and needing victory to maintain a realistic chance of automatic progression to the top eight, a situation that adds further pressure while the club also manages major changes in goal.
Hansi Flick on tomorrow's #ucl game: pic.twitter.com/xnFSLsXiCUFC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 20, 2026
This is the Champions League and there is always pressure to win, Flick said. Slavia are a team that defend very well, that press very high. We have had time to prepare for this match and we want to win the two games we have left. We want the six points. We have a lot of potential, and we have to work hard. In every game we try to work on things. We have very young players and they all have the potential to reach a higher level.
Barcelona will travel to Czechia without Lamine Yamal due to suspension, yet left-back Alejandro Balde expects the squad to respond, highlighting the depth available in attacking positions as Barcelona chase a vital Champions League result without one of the team’s leading creative players.
Lamine is a player of great quality, he is one of the best players in the world. It's always good to have him, but we can't depend on any one player. Whoever plays in his position will do so perfectly.
Ter Stegen’s switch to Girona, Barcelona’s focus on Garcia and Szczesny, and the tight Champions League scenario against Slavia Prague together show a club balancing long-term planning with immediate demands, while Ter Stegen now targets form and fitness that could restore a place with Germany at the World Cup.
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