Latest news with #MarcAndreTerStegen
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mbappé goal and assist as France beat Germany 2-0 for NL third place
France's Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring his side's first goal during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Germany and France at Stuttgart Arena. Federico Gambarini/dpa Captain Kylian Mbappé scored and set up the other as France beat hosts Germany 2-0 on Sunday in the Nations League match for third place. Mbappé netted a 50th goal in his 90th cap shortly before half-time, and then fed Michael Olise for the deciding second in the 84th. Advertisement Victory was sweet after Thursday's 5-4 semi-final defeat against Spain, while Germany ended the home event with two defeats, having lost their semi 2-1 against Portugal on Wednesday. Florian Wirtz hit the post, the hosts had a penalty call and a goal nullified upon review, but were also wasteful, especially early on. The two games highlighted that Germany lack the squad depth of other top teams and have a lot of work ahead to become a major force again at big events. Much-changed France were a constant threat on the counter after the break, with Marcus Thuram hitting the outside post, and German goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen making several big saves. The final between title holders and Euro 2024 champions Spain and Portugal is later Sunday in Munich. France's Kylian Mbappe (C-R) scores his side's first goal past Germany goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen (L) during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Germany and France at Stuttgart Arena. Marijan Murat/dpa
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Espanyol CEO responds to Barcelona interest in Joan Garcia
Barcelona are pushing hard to have a deal for Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia sewn up by the start of the second summer transfer window. The La Liga champions have made it clear that they want the 24-year-old to be their new starter, replacing Marc-Andre Ter Stegen in the process. Garcia has already decided that he wants to join Barcelona. He was Espanyol's standout player last season, and a hero to those in the stands as his exploits single-handedly won the club points at times – but if the move goes through, he will not be viewed favourably by Los Pericos' supporters. Espanyol CEO provides update on Joan Garcia-Barcelona case Image via Getty Images Amid the speculation surrounding Garcia, Espanyol CEO Mao Ye Wu has provided an update to the club's supporters. As per MD, he reiterated that there are no plans for negotiations to be held with any club, with the activation of the player's €25m release clause is the only way that he can join Barcelona. Advertisement 'There has been no official contact, neither from any club nor from the player. We have been clear about it from day one. The formula for executing the clause, the procedure is known by all clubs. We don't have to teach anyone. 'The player is an Espanyol player today, and he has his clause, updated to the IPC. It is his right to choose his professional career, you have to understand the personal decision of each one, but the contract is the contract and we have to respect what is signed. We have no intention of negotiating the clause – not with Barcelona or with anyone.' Barcelona are determined to finalise a deal for Garcia, whom they expect to be registered despite having had problems in doing so with Dani Olmo and Pau Victor throughout last season. But for now, there is still work to be done before everything is completed.
Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
FC Barcelona Considers Selling League Winner To Saudi Arabia
FC Barcelona has received interest from Saudi Arabia in one of its first team stars and is considering offloading him to the Pro League according to local newspapers SPORT and Mundo Deportivo. This week has already seen a report from the former publication explaining that Neymar's former employers Al-Hilal are interested in taking captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen off the Catalans' hands. Missing most of 2024/2025 through injury, the German is effectively being ousted from the club because of the expected arrival of Joan Garcia from Espanyol. RAC 1 reported that President Joan Laporta told the board Ter Stegen will have to leave if Barca activates Garcia's $28.5 million (€25 million) release clause, which is expected to be done in a matter of days. Meanwhile, Hansi Flick and his staff have also reportedly greenlit Ter Stegen's potential exit because of a poor attitude and effectively trying to force his way into the first XI for Barca's Champions League semifinal second leg defeat to Inter Milan despite not being registered for the competition. Whether Ter Stegen heads to the Middle East or not, one of his closest friends at Barca off the pitch in Andreas Christensen could do. SPORT reports on interest from Al-Hilal's bitter rival Al-Nassr in the Dane, and adds that Sporting Director Deco and Laporta are 'thinking about opening the door for him'. While Flick admires the 29-year-old for his versatility in being able to operate as a center back or pivot, Barca has to think about possibly profiting on a player it signed on a free for Chelsea, and who has just over 12 months left on his contract. Mundo Deportivo says that while Christensen hasn't shown he wants to leave Barca, there is a feeling that he will want to run down his contract and once more join his next club for nothing once becoming a free agent. FC Barcelona could afford to sell Christensen from a sporting sense because of its wealth of options at center back. With Pau Cubarsi and Inigo Martinez undisputed starters, there's also Ronald Araujo to consider and Eric Garcia though injuries to some of these players have sometimes left Flick undermanned.
Forbes
2 days ago
- Sport
- Forbes
FC Barcelona Coach Flick Decides To Sell ‘Untouchable' Star
FC Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick decided not to object to the sale of a first team star ... More previously deemed 'untouchable' because of his attitude after returning from injury according to SPORT, which cited anonymous sources. FC Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick decided not to object to the sale of a first team star previously deemed 'untouchable' because of his attitude after returning from injury according to SPORT, which cited anonymous sources. Marc-Andre ter Stegen suffered what was expected to be a season-ending injury against Villarreal in September, which prompted Barca to bring Wojciech Szczesny out of retirement. Inaki Pena remained Flick's first choice heading towards 2025, but disciplinary incidents at the turn of the year resulted in the Pole becoming the German's number one choice between the sticks for what ended up being a domestic treble-winning campaign. With Barca conceding seven goals against Inter Milan across two Champions League semifinal legs and not reaching the decider in Munich against Paris Saint-Germain, the Catalans have moved swiftly to try and bring in a younger goalkeeping option for Flick. That's Espanyol's Joan Garcia, who is expected to switch allegiances to his boyhood club's crosstown rival in a matter of days, once Barca has activated his $28.5 million (€25 million) release clause. RAC 1 reported that President Joan Laporta told the board Ter Stegen would have to be sold if Garcia arrives, and the veteran was defiant on international duty when asked about such a potential development. 'No one has told me about this, so I don't know the situation,' Ter Stegen said from a press conference. 'I'm not worried. I know that I will be at Barcelona next year,' he added. 'If I remember correctly, and if no news has happened in the last few hours, we only have two goalkeepers for next season, Inaki [Pena] That of course was brushing aside Szczesny, who has not yet renewed his one-year contract but should do in the coming weeks. According to SPORT, though, Flick is also in favour of getting rid of Ter Stegen. That's because the manager didn't like his countryman's attitude at the end of the season, and actions such as allegedly calling the Sporting Director Deco to try and force his way into the starting line up for the second leg against Inter at the San Siro despite not even being registered to play in the Champions League. Forcing an interview with the German press to publicly express he was ready to play wasn't appreciated either, nor was staying in Barcelona and training alone as Barca headed to Milan. Ter Stegen's conduct wasn't at all appreciated, and ended up 'clouding the atmosphere' in what should have been a joyous locker room as a highly successful 2024/2025 drew to a close. With backing from neither the board nor the head coach, Ter Stegen appears to be on borrowed time at FC Barcelona and might be wise to seek an exit himself amid interest from Al Hilal.
New York Times
3 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
The Ter Stegen case: Is Barcelona's captain being forced out?
With Barcelona apparently closing in on signing Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia, a familiar situation is looming at the new Spanish champions. Garcia's arrival looks likely to mean consequences for Barca's previous first-choice goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen — and already the drum-beat of rumour, speculation and comment from friendly local media, aimed at persuading Ter Stegen to leave, has begun. Advertisement Since joining for a bargain €12million (£10.1m; $13.7m at current rates) from Borussia Moenchengladbach in 2014, Ter Stegen has won 19 trophies with Barca, including the 2014-15 Champions League and six La Liga titles. Now 33, last summer team-mates voted for him to be Barca's captain for 2024-25, but a knee injury suffered in September meant he spent much of the campaign recovering. Free agent Wojciech 'Tek' Szczesny was signed in response and the 35-year-old saw out the season between the sticks as Barca won La Liga and the Copa del Rey. With the transfer window looming, Barca president Joan Laporta suggested in May that more substantial change to the goalkeeping line-up would come this summer. 'The goalkeeping issue has to be looked at,' Laporta told local broadcaster TV3. 'I think the 'Tek' thing went pretty well and I hope it continues.' The situation got even more complicated when Barca's hierarchy decided that locally born 24-year-old Garcia, available from city rivals Espanyol through his €25m release clause after an excellent La Liga campaign, was a market opportunity too good to pass up. A further complication is Barca's always troubled financial situation. As things stand, they are above their allowed salary limit with La Liga, so neither Garcia nor Szczesny could be registered for 2025-26 if they do agree deals. Szczesny has already been offered a new two-year deal. Ter Stegen is one of the few Barca players remaining from the spendthrift reign of former club president Josep Maria Bartomeu. However, his most recent contract extension, which runs to 2028, was signed under Laporta. Agreed just after his record 26 clean sheets in 38 games helped Barca win the 2022-23 La Liga title, that deal also saw Ter Stegen accept deferring some of his total salary towards the end of the contract. Taking a lower wage at the beginning helped Barca register that summer's signings with La Liga, but it also now means his annual wage scales up as the years pass. If all this sounds familiar, it's because the circumstances outlined above mirror closely what happened three summers back, when Barcelona's hierarchy decided they should offload midfielder Frenkie de Jong. Manchester United were then willing to pay at least €75m to sign De Jong, but he did not want to leave. Advertisement During the stand-off, Spanish newspaper Marca published what they said were details of De Jong's contract, outlining how his salary would supposedly rise to €40m, before tax, in the following campaign. Barca executives pressured De Jong and his camp to not collect money he, too, had previously 'deferred' in agreement with Bartomeu's board, and even threatened legal action. De Jong dug his heels in and refused to leave or give up the money he was owed. But speculation over his future and media talk about his salary continued through the following seasons, especially whenever Barca were struggling to register new signings with La Liga. 'I'm very angry at what you (media) write or say about me,' De Jong said in February 2024, speaking at a pre-match Champions League news conference. 'Some of you write lies all the time. I don't know how you're not ashamed about it. You say I earn around €40m per year… I'm not going to reveal figures, but that's simply lying. Barcelona is the club of my life, it was my dream to play here and it still is.' De Jong is far from the only one to have felt such frustration in recent years at Barca. Sergio Busquets, Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba and Ousmane Dembele were all pressured to leave through the local media. 'The players all know they use these strategies, making them out to be responsible for the club's financial difficulties,' says a source close to a former Barca player with direct experience of such treatment. They requested anonymity to be able to speak freely, like all those consulted for this story, adding: 'The fans are also aware of these strategies.' Another to have felt pressure to leave Barca is Raphinha, whose future came under scrutiny last summer. The Brazilian winger knew at the time that some around the club wanted to sell him to raise money for the signing of Athletic Club attacker Nico Williams, and he weighed up the possibility of moving to the Saudi Pro League. Advertisement Raphinha stayed and he scored 34 goals and made 24 assists as Barca won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de Espana. Such performances were rewarded with a new contract on improved terms signed in late May. Yet Raphinha seemed still frustrated at what had happened last summer, recently recalling how upset he had been to see a fan online wearing a Barca jersey with his No 11 and Williams' name on the back in October. 'Many people wanted me out of here (last summer),' Raphinha said in an interview with Sport after signing his new contract. 'Lots of fans, maybe the board were not happy with how I was playing, lots of people…' It seems like now it is the turn of Ter Stegen. Local radio station RAC1 has reported that Laporta told fellow board members that Barca will look to sell him when Garcia is signed. Mundo Deportivo has claimed that coach Hansi Flick will make the Catalan his No 1 starter next season, even if Ter Stegen stays. This led to some awkwardness when Ter Stegen faced a press conference at Germany's Nations League camp last weekend. Instead of talking about his return to fitness and a chance to finally be first choice for his country, most of the questions were about his future at Barca. 'Nobody at the club spoke with me about this, so I'm not worried,' Ter Stegen said in reply. 'I know I'll be at Barcelona next season. There's nothing to talk about. If I'm not mistaken, and nothing has changed recently, Barca have two keepers for next season.' That has not stopped the speculation. Online media outlet Jijantes criticised Ter Stegen for showing an alleged lack of respect for Szczesny with his answers (their interpretation being that the two goalkeepers Ter Stegen referred to were himself and Inaki Pena, who looks likely to leave). Sport reported that Barca's sporting director Deco would tell Ter Stegen he would be third choice next season. Marca claimed his gross salary is €20m a year. Advertisement Such media coverage does affect how fans view players, especially in the Barca fishbowl. When Barcelona recently promoted a club-made video about Ter Stegen's recovery from injury on social media, many of the comments were critical of his performances, including the hashtag #TerStegenOut. The German played two La Liga matches after returning from injury in May. 𝗧𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 We followed @mterstegen1 throughout the 223 days he was away from the pitch. Available on @BarcaOneFCB — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) May 29, 2025 Social media is obviously not an accurate barometer of what most Barca fans really feel, but experience tells us that those players deemed surplus to requirements by the club hierarchy (De Jong, Dembele) can be made to feel very uncomfortable, including being whistled by their own fans during home games. Ter Stegen is a very strong character who is clear in his own mind that he wants to stay at the club. He believes he has the backing of the dressing room, where many team-mates will also sympathise with his current circumstances. For better or worse, dealing with such situations has long been part and parcel of the experience of the modern Barcelona player.
