Ter Stegen reveals Barcelona 'opted for Joan García' during Girona unveiling
The German keeper opens up about his Barcelona exit and new challenge at Girona during his first press conference, discussing his World Cup ambitions and conversations with Míchel.
Former Barcelona captain makes candid admission about his Camp Nou departure as he embarks on surprise loan move to Girona.
”Barcelona opted for Joan García”
Marc-André ter Stegen has lifted the lid on his Barcelona exit during his official presentation as a Girona player, admitting the Catalan giants made a clear choice in goal following his injury.
“After the injury I wanted to get back on the pitch as soon as possible. I trained hard to achieve it, but you have to respect the manager’s decision and I did. They opted for Joan, who’s doing a great job, I respect that,” the German international explained.
The 31-year-old goalkeeper, who spent 11 years at Camp Nou and wore the captain’s armband, described the departure as “very hard” but insists he understands the decision, with his need for playing time driving the surprise January move.
Míchel’s football obsession sealed the deal
Ter Stegen revealed several factors influenced his decision to join Girona:
- Conversations with Míchel were crucial: “Míchel is a football fanatic and would go on a bit, but I loved it. People with such passion for their work are magnificent.”
- Eric García’s glowing recommendation: The defender, who spent last season on loan at Girona before returning to Barcelona, “always spoke very well about this club” and told ter Stegen “they would welcome me very well, that it’s like a family.”
- Maintaining his World Cup ambitions: Regular playing time is essential as he targets a place in Germany’s squad.
Competition with Gazzaniga
Despite arriving as a high-profile signing, ter Stegen showed respect for incumbent goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga while making his intentions clear:
“I have maximum respect for what he has done for this club in recent years, but I have my personal objectives that I want to achieve,” he stated. “I’m going to prepare as if I were playing on Monday. In the end the manager decides, but I feel ready.”
The German keeper also revealed Gazzaniga has already invited him for coffee, describing the reception from his fellow goalkeepers as “very healthy.”
Life beyond Barcelona
The hardest part of leaving Barcelona? “Leaving my teammates. If you spend so much time in a dressing room… In the position I was in, we had a very close relationship with the staff, with the physios… In summer I’ll be back there again.”
In the meantime, ter Stegen is focused on helping Girona climb away from relegation trouble, drawing on his experience from earlier in his career: “In my first team we had a much more serious situation than this. In the end it’s the same thing. We have a very healthy team.”