Barcelona are facing a major backlash over their treatment of Marc Andre ter Stegen.
The club captain now looks certain to depart with Joan Garcia signed as a No.2 behind Wojciech Szczesny who joined mid-season and massively impressed.
Ter Stegen missed the majority of the season with a serious ruptured patellar tendon injury but returned at the end, only to see his spot blocked by Szczesny.
Asked about the treatment of the club captain and if he’s talked to him, Barca sporting director Deco gave a brutal response.
“I don’t have to talk to him,” the former Catalan midfielder told the newspaper La Vanguardia.
“My duty is to build the best possible team for the coach.
“There is no contract that says you have to play no matter what.
“From now on, the coach makes the decisions.”
Even before the shock statements, Barca’s treatment of Ter Stegen was panned by former presidential candidate Victor Font.
“Barça doesn’t know how to treat its captains, its legends, well,” he said.
“It is absolutely reprehensible that Ter Stegen hasn’t spoken to anyone at the club, that he has to find out everything through leaks to the press and that there is this kind of bullying of a player who has been with us for so many years.”
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