"Marc-Andre ter Stegen was the surprise name in the FC Barcelona starting lineup on Tuesday night against CD Guadalajara in the Copa del Rey. It was widely expected that with Joan Garcia set to be rested, Wojciech Szczesny would replace him. But Hansi Flick sprung a surprise and handed Ter Stegen his first appearance of the season, after the German had been out for five months due to a back surgery."
"However, there was another crucial factor: a three-way meeting held just hours before kick-off. Present were Szczesny, Ter Stegen and Flick. During that meeting, the Pole made a key gesture by effectively encouraging Flick to give Ter Stegen the start. He explained that, as captain and after a long injury layoff, the 33-year-old deserved to play, essentially stepping aside to ease the situation."
"The Guadalajara match was key to clarifying the goalkeeping hierarchy at Barça. Joan Garcia is considered the undisputed starter in La Liga and the Champions League - the club's and Flick's main bet - but the question remained: who is the second-choice keeper? Based on what happened in Guadalajara, the answer was Ter Stegen. But his start was neither random nor improvised, and certainly not the result of pressure from the German, nor an arbitrary decision by Flick."
Marc-Andre ter Stegen made his first appearance of the season for FC Barcelona against CD Guadalajara following a five-month absence after back surgery. Joan Garcia remains the undisputed starter for La Liga and the Champions League, while the Guadalajara match clarified the second-choice goalkeeper as Ter Stegen. Hansi Flick judged Ter Stegen mentally and physically ready and valued his status as first captain. A three-way meeting hours before kick-off with Szczesny, Ter Stegen and Flick resulted in Szczesny encouraging Ter Stegen to start, with Szczesny effectively stepping aside. The decision satisfied Ter Stegen and club officials.
Read at Barca Universal
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]