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Marc-Andre ter Stegen Coy on Barcelona Future: 'In Football You Never Know'
December 17, 2019
Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen has potentially left the option of leaving the club open when asked about his future with the team.
The 27-year-old signed for Barca from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2014, and his contract at the Camp Nou expires in 2022.
He said to Goal's Jan Platte: "In football you never know what's going to happen. I want to make the club happy and leave my mark."
During his first two seasons at the Camp Nou he played in the team's cup and European fixtures, while Claudio Bravo was between the sticks in La Liga.
He became the undisputed No. 1 for the 2016-17 season, prompting the Chilean's move to Manchester City at the end of that campaign.
The German has since developed into one of the best goalkeepers in world football, combining excellent shot-stopping with superb footwork.
He has contributed two assists this season thanks to his strong distribution:
On Wednesday, Barcelona face Real Madrid for the first time this season in a crunch clash at the top of La Liga.
"These are the games that you look forward to. They are the ones that get people excited," he said. "Real Madrid is always a dangerous game for us. They had some problems at the start of the season, just like us. The league has become stronger, especially physically. There are no simple games anymore."
Ter Stegen has not been at his best in recent weeks, though.
He was responsible for Alexander Isak finding the net in Barca's 2-2 draw with Real Sociedad on Saturday:
Sports writer Andy West and Tom Allnutt of the Agence France-Presse noted his lack of form:
Fortunately for Barca, Real Madrid also dropped points as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Valencia on Sunday.
Wednesday's Clasico represents a chance for one of the two sides to take the initiative in the title race.
Barcelona will need Ter Stegen to be at his best if they're to keep out Karim Benzema, who has scored 12 goals in 15 La Liga games this season.