Barcelona manager Hansi Flick took questions after accepting his Coach of the Year award at the SPORT BILD gala, and it’s only natural that the German media would ask him about his German goalkeeper and all the drama surrounding him.
The coach was asked about the decision to sign Joan Garcia as Ter Stegen’s replacement and all the controversy that unfolded after it, with Ter Stegen refusing to leave despite the club’s clear desire to move on and then being stripped of the captaincy for 24 hours for his
refusal to sign the medical report that allowed Barça to use his salary to register Garcia following Ter Stegen’s back surgery.
Flick explained that Barça made a collective decision to sign Garcia as the club’s future number one, and that poor communication by all sides was the cause for all the Ter Stegen drama. But Hansi also made it clear that he won’t make any promises that Ter Stegen will play again once he returns from injury.
“Now we have a very young and talented goalkeeper like Joan Garcia, who is at a very, very high level. We all decided together that he had to be the future of Barça. So, for me, our approach was clear. Was everything good in terms of communication? I think there’s a lot to improve, also on my part.
“For me, it’s important that Marc and the club have gotten closer to each other. And that they’ve sought the right communication. For me, it’s important that Marc returns. He’s a top-level goalkeeper and he has our full support so he can return to playing at his best. What can I promise him [in terms of playing time]? No, I don’t make any promises.”
Source: Mundo Deportivo
Ter Stegen is expected back sometime around late December or early January, and if he cannot play for Barça again he’ll have a big decision to make just six months away from the World Cup with a chance to be Germany’s number one.
