Marc-Andre ter Stegen is still the captain! Barcelona stars standing by under fire goalkeeper as Frenkie de Jong insists German is still 'world-class' amid feud with La Liga champions

Ter Stegen, currently a controversial figure at Barcelona, can count on the support of his teammates Frenkie de Jong and Ferran Torres. Ter Stegen had to relinquish his status as number one to Barca's new signing Joan Garcia. In addition, there have been recent media reports that the German national goalkeeper could also be stripped of the armband.

The German international did not join the Barcelona squad on their pre-season tour of Asia after undergoing surgery on his lower back. The situation further strained his relationship with the club, as reports emerged that the goalkeeper released an individual statement about the procedure without informing Barca beforehand. In his announcement, Ter Stegen stated he would be sidelined for three months — significantly less than the four to five months the club had anticipated. Barcelona were reportedly frustrated, as they had planned to submit medical documentation to La Liga estimating a longer recovery period (which they did this week). This would have allowed them to use 80 per cent of Ter Stegen’s salary to help register new signings under league financial regulations.

As for the captaincy issue, head coach Hansi Flick has already confirmed that he will not be making any decisions, leaving the responsibility on the first-team players, who are expected to conduct voting.

“For me, Marc is the captain of the team, just as he was last season,” De Jong told reporters. “Marc is a world-class player and has always given his all to the club, so I support Marc a lot, and from what I know, the team as well.”

Torres shared his thoughts, too, and provided his backing to the veteran goalkeeper. He said: “I don’t know if there will be a vote or not; we haven’t spoken, or at least I’m not aware of it, but Ter Stegen, just because of his experience and the years he’s been around, I think he’ll be captain.”

Barca will play another friendly against Daegu FC from South Korea on Monday before returning to Spain. After facing Como in the Joan Gamper Trophy on August 10, the Blaugrana will play their first competitive game of the new season on August 16, away at Mallorca.

Additional reporting by Oliver Maywurm.