Do Barcelona Stick or Twist with Their Current Goalkeeping Options?

Prior to the 2014-15 season, Barcelona's Marc-Andre ter Stegen had never won a major title at senior level in Europe. Joining him at the Camp Nou, Claudio Bravo hadn't either. 

At Borussia Monchengladbach, Ter Stegen had quickly grown into a precocious star. He'd played a key role in a team that had swapped a regular part in the relegation battle for safety in the upper reaches of the Bundesliga table. He'd enjoyed success with Germany at youth level. But no major European titles.  

Bravo, meanwhile, had ascended to the captaincy of his national side, Chile. He'd become Chile's most-capped player in history. He'd claimed a single Torneo Apertura with Chilean club Colo-Colo in four years. He'd then spent eight seasons in Basque country at Real Sociedad and in 2009-10 helped the San Sebastian outfit to earn promotion from the Segunda Division. But no major European titles. 

That, however, has all changed. On May 17, the pair claimed their first. On May 30, they added a second. On June 6, they captured a third. Total euphoria, right? Well, not quite.

For the goalkeepers, the first title essentially belonged exclusively to Bravo—Ter Stegen didn't play a minute in La Liga. By the same token, the second and third—the Copa del Rey and Champions League—belonged to Ter Stegen.

"It's not easy," Bravo told Fox Sports, per Football Espana, of being left out for the European finale. When Ter Stegen was asked if his selection to that very game compensated for a league campaign on the sidelines, his response was blunt: "No."

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Like players everywhere, the two goalkeepers want to play. All the time. Without interruption. Thus, satisfying the pair is tricky.

For Barcelona, it's a unique situation. In 2014, the club had taken the decision not to renew Jose Manuel Pinto's contract. Victor Valdes, on his own terms, had decided he didn't want to renew his. From the first-team squad of 2013-14, the only goalkeeper remaining was academy product and third choice Oier Olazabal, and by July, he'd be gone, too. 

As the season approached its conclusion, the Catalans had been left in the peculiar circumstances in which two goalkeepers were needed in the same transfer window—a particularly difficult task. Elite glovemen aren't found in abundance. They're unique beasts, a rare breed. But Barcelona did find two of them.

In Catalonia, Sport has since labelled them "the perfect combination." In Madrid, Marca cynically has said they're "Zubi's only legacy"—a dig at the transfer activity of former director of football, Andoni Zubizarreta. 

But a former 'keeper himself, Zubizarreta oversaw the signings of two outstanding shot-stoppers. With each and every game that passed in 2014-15, Bravo and Ter Stegen looked like increasingly fine acquisitions. "I came to Barcelona for Zubizarreta," the German even told El Periodico, via Sport, earlier this year. 

A back injury, however, robbed the 23-year-old of an early chance to impress, removing a selection headache from Luis Enrique and allowing Bravo an opportunity to impose himself in the season's opening weeks. He did.

Bravo started with eight consecutive clean sheets. Eight. It took 754 minutes and a Cristiano Ronaldo spot-kick for the Chilean to be beaten. La Liga was his; he'd earned his place and justified it. 

Recalling the veteran's impressive stops this season is a lengthy process. Across two Clasicos, he denied Karim Benzema three times and Ronaldo once. He saved a crucial penalty against a surging Valencia. Those were the high-profile ones. But there were plenty others: against Rayo Vallecano, Celta Vigo, Real Sociedad, Eibar, Villarreal, Malaga, Granada, Atletico Madrid, Athletic Bilbao and Deportivo La Coruna.

Not all earned Barca points, but at the heart of the team's remarkable defensive record (21 goals conceded in the league all season) stood Bravo. But for his fellow gloveman, it was a difficult pill to swallow. A triangular pill with sharp edges and a sandpaper coating. 

"It's not a nice situation; that is no secret," Ter Stegen told German magazine 11Freunde in April, via Sport.  "I'd obviously like to play in every match." 

As for his relationship with Bravo: "There's no problem between us and we speak regularly. I'd never wish anything bad upon him, but I am trying to get the upper hand."

For Barcelona, establishing a pecking order is a conundrum. Perhaps a positive one but still a conundrum. With Enrique confirmed as manager for next season, a coach who's shown a certain degree of loyalty to both men, it's possible the pattern of 2014-15 could continue. And that's not likely to satisfy either man—Ter Stegen wants regular football; Bravo wants personal success in Europe. 

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The German undoubtedly has the better upside. He's taller, faster and more athletic. He's at ease on the ball with both feet. He's in the Manuel Neuer mould, a sweeper-keeper if needed. And he's nine years younger than Bravo. Memorable outings against Villarreal and Bayern Munich underlined his immense talent. 

Yet Enrique will be loath to dislodge the impressive Bravo from his league post. Doing so would undermine any meritocracy in the team's selection policy. But, simultaneously, Enrique will also understand that it's difficult for two elite 'keepers to coexist for a lengthy period. Stamford Bridge is evidence of that.

So, do Barca stick or twist?

Though it's unlikely, selling Bravo this summer is one option if the club were to twist and prioritise Ter Stegen's development. Now 32 and coming off a fine season, the Chilean's value will never be higher than it is right now. And, if he were available, high-profile and cash-rich parties would be interested—think Manchester United or Arsenal. But for a recently crowned Zamora Trophy winner, it feels fanciful. 

More probable is that Barca will stick for 2015-16, hoping the quandary will solve itself organically—through form, through injury, through necessity. For it's an edge the Catalans have on their rivals, both in Spain and around Europe. As other outfits clamour for one star 'keeper, Barca sit content with two. 

What a problem to have. 

Follow @TimDCollins