Barcelona confirmed on Wednesday that goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen has been officially recognised by LaLiga as a long-term injury, allowing the club to register new signing Joan Garcia without breaching financial fair play regulations.
“LaLiga’s Medical Committee has ruled that goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s injury meets the long-term injury criteria established by current regulations,” the club said in a statement on their website. “The club will proceed tomorrow (Thursday) to immediately formalise the registration of player Joan Garcia.”
The 33-year-old Ter Stegen, Barcelona’s captain, underwent back surgery last month after two seasons disrupted by serious injuries. Until last Friday, he had been reluctant to release his medical records, which delayed the club’s effort to have him classified as a long-term absence. This designation allows part of his salary to be excluded from Barcelona’s official wage bill, freeing space to register new players under financial fair play rules.
Alongside registering 24-year-old goalkeeper Garcia, Barcelona also extended the contract of veteran Polish stopper Wojciech Szczesny during the summer.