Surprise Starter Sparks Barça: Flick's Ter Stegen Call Roils Camp Nou
18 December 2025
Surprise Starter and the Flick Puzzle
The decision by coach Hansi Flick to start Marc-Andre ter Stegen for Barcelona against Guadalajara sent a ripple through Camp Nou, catching fans by surprise and leaving the club’s corridors buzzing about what it signaled for the season ahead.
According to Mundo Deportivo, the shock followed Flick's public hints during the pre-match press conference that Wojciech Szczesny might win the starting job, a possibility insiders had been primed to accept, only to see the plan flip inside hours.
When the official lineup appeared with Ter Stegen in goal, a mood of astonishment spread through the boardroom, with many wondering what last-minute reshuffling had driven the change.
Inside Barça, the prevailing belief was that Szczesny would start, and the idea was to gently nudge Ter Stegen toward a winter exit by signaling no real place for him in Flick's formula.
Although Flick did pick Ter Stegen, he later emphasized that his decision was limited to this particular match.
There is growing unease at Barça over Ter Stegen's strong personality and influence, coupled with fears he could push to continue in the Copa del Rey after already appearing, which could give him leverage if the coach concedes.
The dominant view inside Barcelona is that a winter departure would spare Juan Garcia’s position from further disruption, reduce the heavy wage burden, and keep future market options open for the German stopper.
Nevertheless, some voices floated the possibility that Ter Stegen could stay until the season's end, contingent on a tacit agreement with the German national team coach that his Copa appearances would bolster World Cup prospects.
As headlines mounted, the story underscored Barcelona's ongoing challenge to balance locker-room dynamics, wage costs, and timing as the transfer window looms.
Source: Mundo Deportivo article, December 18, 2025.
Sniper punchline 1: In Barça, if your plan doesn’t go to plan, blame the plan’s update—they call that “alternative tactics.”
Sniper punchline 2: If Ter Stegen stays until summer, at least the press conferences will have better plot twists than the actual matches.
