Marc-André ter Stegen did not mention the World Cup in an emotional Instagram post but being Germany's number one at the tournament in summer will be a top priority for him after leaving Barcelona on loan for LaLiga rivals Girona. There will be no more Champions League nights but Ter Stegen can hope for regular matches for 11th-placed Girona while he only was a reserve keeper at Barca since Joan Garcia arrived in summer.
Marc-André ter Stegen did not mention the World Cup in an emotional Instagram post but being Germany's number one at the tournament in summer will be a top priority for him after leaving Barcelona on loan for LaLiga rivals Girona.
There will be no more Champions League nights but Ter Stegen can hope for regular matches for 11th-placed Girona while he only was a reserve keeper at Barca since Joan Garcia arrived in summer.
"Now my journey continues in Catalunya, and I’m really looking forward to what’s ahead," Ter Stegen said in the post late Tuesday.
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann has said that Ter Stegen will need regular playing time, regardless whether at a top club or not, to retain his national team status for the June 11-July 19 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Ter Stegen, 33, was number two behind Manuel Neuer for many years, only playing at and winning the 2017 Confederations Cup when Neuer was rested.
He was promoted to number one when Neuer retired from the national team after Euro 2024 but was then sidelined for many months with a knee and back injury. Oliver Baumann deputised for him in all six World Cup qualifiers last autumn.
Ter Stegen has 44 caps and Barca coach Hansi Flick, who stuck with Neuer during his term as German national team coach and then also made Ter Stegen number two at the club last summer, wished the keeper well after a trophy laden 11-and-a-half years at the club.
"Marc is a fantastic goalkeeper. We made a different decision for the future, and I think it was the right one. But I wish him all the best. Maybe we'll see him at the World Cup. We're keeping our fingers crossed for that. I think he has a good chance," Flick said.
In the post, Ter Stegen paid tribute to Barca as a summer return at the end of the loan spell appears unlikely despite a contract until 2028.
"For nearly 12 years, this club, and especially this locker room, has been my home. A place where I’ve grown as a player and as a person, and where I’ve lived unforgettable moments," he said.
"I feel deeply grateful and proud. I love this club, this city and this region. They carry a feeling inside me that will never fade."
Category: General Sports
