Ter Stegen breaks silence on Barcelona future: ‘I have a close connection with the club’

Ter Stegen breaks silence on Barcelona future: ‘I have a close connection with the club’ Speaking in an interview with BILD (h/t SPORT ), Marc-Andre ter Stegen has refused to rule out a return to Barcelona once his loan spell at Ajax comes to an end. However, the veteran German goalkeeper also revealed that he has had no contact whatsoever with Barcelona manager Hansi Flick recently. Ter Stegen addresses future Having fallen down the pecking order at Barcelona, where Joan Garcia became the No. 1 since last season, Ter Stegen decided to leave the club on loan in the summer to sign for Ajax. The 34-year-old still remains under contract with the Blaugrana until 2028, and having spent more than a decade at the club, he is not ruling out a return once his loan spell ends. “I played for Barcelona for twelve years, so naturally I have a close connection with this club. It’s only November, so I really can’t say what will happen in the summer,” he said. Ter Stegen is on loan at Ajax. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images) With his words, Ter Stegen left the door open for a return to Barça at the end of the season. However, during the same interview, the German international acknowledged that there had been no recent contacts between him and Flick, which adds a question mark over his possible return in the summer. Happy with Klopp’s confidence Ter Stegen also discussed his new status as Germany’s No. 1 in goal, with manager Jurgen Klopp showing faith in him and backing him to deliver . “It feels absolutely brilliant to know they have that much faith in me. It shows that, when I’m fit, I can contribute a lot to the team,” explained Ter Stegen, pleased with the manager’s backing. Ter Stegen has Klopp’s full confidence. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images) Despite that, Ter Stegen made sure to remark that he was not assuming that he would automatically be Germany’s first-choice goalkeeper at the UEFA Euro 2028. He remains fully aware of the competition for places and the need to prove his fitness and form. Meanwhile, reflecting on Germany’s recent decline in international football, Ter Stegen acknowledged: “We haven’t had the best of times with the German national team recently. Many are quick to call for new players to be brought in, for all the young players to be given a chance. In principle, I think that’s fine and the right approach.” However, he also warned against overlooking the importance of experienced players when a team encounters difficult moments, saying: “But there will also be difficult times, and that’s when experience will count.”