Last week, Barcelona finalized a loan deal for Marc-André ter Stegen, who has joined Girona for the remainder of the season. The 33-year-old goalkeeper decided to leave after being informed that he would no longer be part of the plans at Spotify Camp Nou, with Hansi Flick continuing with Joan Garcia and Wojciech Szczesny as the first-team goalkeepers.
Ter Stegen’s departure left Barcelona without a club captain, a position the German goalkeeper had held since August 2024 after replacing Sergi Roberto. He had been stripped of the captain’s armband last summer when he refused to allow his salary to be used for the registration of Joan Garcia, but he regained it a day later. He is set to reclaim the armband once his loan spell at Girona ends, but for now Barcelona have a new captain: Ronald Araújo. According to Cadena SER, the Uruguayan defender has been officially appointed to the role, with Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, and Raphinha also part of the club’s leadership group.
If none of the four aforementioned players are on the pitch at the same time, either Eric Garcia or Ferran Torres will wear the captain’s armband, the report revealed. Flick has recently spoken about Eric Garcia’s leadership qualities, so it would not be surprising if he had a say in the decision regarding the captaincy.
Barcelona will need plenty of leadership during the second half of the season as they aim for another positive campaign. They currently sit one point ahead of Real Madrid in La Liga and are also looking to defend the Copa del Rey title they won last May. In addition, they hope to end their 11-year wait to lift the Champions League trophy.
