Barcelona Strip Ter Stegen Of Captain\u2019s Armband
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Barcelona on Thursday said they had stripped Marc-Andre ter Stegen of the captain\u2019s armband in a continuing dispute over the German goalkeeper\u2019s fitness status.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cAs a consequence of the disciplinary proceedings initiated against player Marc-Andre ter Stegen, and until such proceedings are definitively resolved, the club\u2026 has decided to temporarily remove him as captain of the first football team,\u201d Barca said in a statement.<\/p>\n They said vice-captain Ronald Araujo, a Uruguayan defender, would take over.<\/p>\n According to local media, the dispute centres on 33-year-old Ter Stegen\u2019s refusal to cooperate with an attempt to have him classified by La Liga as a long-term injury case, which would allow the club to deduct part of his pay from their official wage bill.<\/p>\n With the new Liga season approaching, Barcelona are again struggling to satisfy Spanish financial fair play rules.\u00a0If they cannot, they may not be able to register new players.<\/p>\n The club plans to partly reopen its expensively renovated Camp Nou stadium this month.<\/p>\n After two seasons marred by injury, Ter Stegen decided to undergo back surgery at the end of July. He has refused to sign a form releasing his medical data to La Liga, preventing Barcelona\u2019s attempt to have him officially declared a long-term absentee.<\/p>\n His place is under threat from one of the summer signings, 24-year-old Joan Garcia, and 35-year-old Wojciech Szczesny, the Polish veteran who has been rewarded with a contract extension for taking over during last season\u2019s Liga title-winning campaign.<\/p>\n The German goalkeeper, the last remaining member of Luis Enrique\u2019s 2015 European champion team, faces heavy penalties under La Liga regulations, including the termination of his contract.<\/p>\n