Barcelona has confirmed that veteran goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen was removed as Captain Temporary-in a statement that was released on Thursday. It was just a few lines long, but left many questions for the future.
The Blaugrana noted that it was a temporary suspension of the role, while their disciplinary procedures are underway. It is not yet clear whether they would return the captain if they were closed. It also announced Ronald Araujo as the temporary captain in his absence. A probably motive could be that with the Joan Gamper -Trophy planned for Sunday, the habit is for the captain to give a speech to the fans. It would have been a strange look in view of the situation.
According to Diario, if, if Ter Stegen were permanently replaced, the favorite for the role among the team is Frenkie de Jong, one of the four vice-captains next to Pedri, Arajo and Raphinha. Hansi Flick said last week that the CaptainCy would be decided by a mood, although the players are apparently reluctant to take the role of Ter Stegen in these circumstances.
De Jong is the next in line in terms of seniority, but the fact that he too has been in disputes with the club may have tempted Barcelona to select Araujo to be the one who speaks on Sunday. He is one of the players who spoke to Ter Stegen as Captain last week.
Their information also says that if a new vice-captain is added to the leadership group, the favorite is Gavi. Flick feels that he represents the dedication and the sacrifice that he wants to see of all his players, and shows a deep love for the club. In the dressing room he is one of the most appreciated and beloved characters. It is worth noting that it was something of an aberration last season that there were four vice-captains, where Barcelona usually had three, which means that they might not add anyone and to alleys in the long term.