Barcelona is in serious trouble right now because their main goalkeeper, Marc-André ter Stegen, is not playing ball with the club.
After having surgery on his back, Ter Stegen is expected to be out for a long time. So, Barcelona tried to use a special La Liga rule that allows clubs to bring in a new player if someone is injured for more than four months.
The club had plans to sign Joan Garcia to fill in as goalkeeper during Ter Stegen’s recovery. But there’s a big problem — La Liga says they can’t approve the deal unless Ter Stegen agrees to release his medical records.
Barcelona believes they have the legal right to go ahead without his permission, but La Liga is saying “no signature, no replacement.”
Reports from Cadena SER say that if Ter Stegen doesn’t change his mind, Barcelona will not be allowed to register any replacement goalkeeper under the injury rule.
The club was hoping to talk things out with Ter Stegen when he returned from South Korea, but according to Diario AS, the meeting has now been cancelled.
People inside the club are reportedly very angry with Ter Stegen. They feel he’s not helping the team and making things harder for everyone.
Now, unless something changes quickly, Barcelona might start the new La Liga season without a proper backup goalkeeper. Not good news for the fans!
