Barcelona name new captain – favourites to join captaincy team revealed

Barcelona have confirmed that veteran goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen has been removed as captain – temporarily – in a statement that was released on Thursday. It was merely a few lines long, but left plenty of questions marks for the future.

The Blaugrana noted that it was a temporary suspension from the role, while their disciplinary proceedings are ongoing. It is not yet clear whether they would return the captaincy should they be concluded. It also announced Ronald Araujo as the temporary captain in his absence. A likely motive could be that with the Joan Gamper trophy scheduled for Sunday, the custom is for the captain to make a speech to the fans. Having ter Stegen did so would have been a strange look given the situation.

As per Diario AS, if ter Stegen were to be replaced permanently, the favourite for the role amongst the squad is Frenkie de Jong, one of four vice-captains alongside Pedri, Araujo and Raphinha. Hansi Flick said last week that the captaincy would be decided on by a vote, although the players are seemingly reluctant to take the role from ter Stegen in these circumstances.

De Jong is the next in line in terms of seniority, but the fact that he too has been in disputes with the club might have tempted Barcelona to select Araujo to be the one speaking on Sunday. He is one of the players that spoke out in ter Stegen’s favour as captain last week.

Their information goes on to say that if a new vice-captain is added to the leadership group, the favourite is Gavi. Flick feels that he represents the commitment and sacrifice he wants to see from all his players, as well as exhibiting a deep love for the club. Within the dressing room, he is one of the most appreciated and loved characters. It is worth noting that it was something of an aberration last season that there were four vice-captains, with Barcelona usually having three, meaning they may not add anyone – if ter Stegen is removed long-term.