After being stripped of the Barcelona vice-captaincy, Marc-André ter Stegen has broken his silence, releasing a detailed statement in which he promises to work with the club to ease tensions and “resolve the situation constructively.”
The German goalkeeper’s words drew immediate praise from across the football community — including former Barça coach Xavi Hernández, who commented “Always exemplary” under the Instagram post.
However, Xavi quickly deleted the comment and removed his like, prompting speculation over whether he was avoiding involvement in the ongoing dispute.
Ter Stegen and Xavi share a long history. They were teammates during the Germans’ debut season at Camp Nou in 2014/15, and later reunited when Xavi returned as manager in 2021.
Under his leadership, Ter Stegen played 121 competitive matches and kept 56 clean sheets, with his 2022/23 form ranking among the best of any goalkeeper in Europe.
The 33-year-old’s statement comes amid growing scrutiny over his role at the club following surgery and recovery setbacks — but his pledge to collaborate with Barcelona signals he is not looking for confrontation.
