Former Barcelona goalkeeper Jordi Masip defended Marc-André ter Stegen and said the German should remain the Blaugrana’s number one shot-stopper despite the imminent arrival of Joan Garcia from Espanyol.
Speaking in an interview with Catalan TV earlier this week, Masip, a product of La Masia who was Barça’s third goalkeeper from 2014 to 2017, admitted he was very surprised to see the club make a move for Garcia.
Masip also said Ter Stegen is one of the three or four best goalkeepers in the world, and believes his former teammate still has what it takes to continue as Barça’s top choice at the position.
“I was a little surprised [they went for Joan Garcia]. They have Ter Stegen under contract, they want to renew Szczesny, and they have Iñaki Peña. We’ll see now how they’ll resolve the situation and how the coach wants to move forward.
“Marc [Ter Stegen] went through a journey at Barça to become an important man and give plenty of joy to the fans. At 33 years old he still has at least three good years to play at a high level, as he’s done every season since joining Barça. We don’t know for sure what he’ll be after the injury, but I thought he did well with Germany and still has what it takes.
“For me Ter Stegen has to be the starter. I’ve been around him and saw him training for three straight years and I know the level he can show, along with his leadership in the dressing room and his personality.
“He’s a player who has shown, to me, that he’s one of the three or four best goalkeepers in the world and has performed at a very high level while Barça were winining many titles. To me he has the ideal profile for Barça, and that’s why I’m surprised.”
Source: Diario SPORT
Do you agree with Masip, Barça fans? Should Ter Stegen stay and remain the starting goalkeeper despite Joan Garcia’s arrival? Sound off in the comments!