Barcelona reinstated Marc-Andre ter Stegen as first-team captain after announcing on Friday that the goalkeeper has authorised the club to send his medical report to La Liga.
The announcement comes after Ter Stegen hit back at suggestions he is to blame for Barcelona’s inability to register new players, insisting that the club fully approved his back surgery and recovery timeline.
The German’s three-month rehabilitation created an unexpected headache for Barcelona, who had asked him to sign a long-term medical leave that would allow them to clear 80 per cent of his wages until mid-season and comply with La Liga’s Financial Fair Play rules, thereby allowing them to register new players.
But Ter Stegen’s announcement on social media that he would be sidelined for only three months irked the club management, as La Liga rules require a player to remain out of action for at least four months to be considered a long-term injury.
The disagreement led to the 33-year-old being stripped of the club’s captaincy on Thursday.
“The Club announces that the player Marc-Andre ter Stegen has signed the authorisation necessary for the Club to send La Liga the medical report relating to his surgery,” Barcelona said in a statement.
“The disciplinary case has been closed and the player is captain of the first team once again with immediate effect.”
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Ter Stegen was adamant that club officials had always been kept in the loop about his treatment and rehabilitation.
“The decision to undergo surgery was made after consultation with medical professionals and fully approved by the club,” Ter Stegen said earlier on Friday in a statement on Instagram.
“Moreover, I announced publicly the minimum recovery timing that I shall need after that, which had been communicated to me by most reputed experts and always in coordination with the club.”
Despite Ter Stegen signing the authorisation, La Liga’s Medical Committee must still rule on his case, with their estimated recovery time for the goalkeeper determining whether Barcelona can use part of his salary to register new signings.
The controversy highlights Barcelona’s financial struggles as they battle to register new signings once again.
Last season, the club approached Spain’s National Sports Council to allow them to field Dani Olmo and Pau Victor until the end of the season after La Liga said it did not have the capacity to register the two players based on their accounts.