German coach Hans Flick, manager of FC Barcelona, has taken a neutral stance in the ongoing crisis between goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen and the club's management, following the tensions witnessed in recent weeks.

The Barcelona management had expressed their desire for Ter Stegen to leave during the current summer transfer window after signing goalkeeper Juan Garcia, while the German keeper insisted on staying until the end of his contract, which runs until the summer of 2028.

The tension escalated after the player announced via his official account on "X" that he underwent back surgery and would be absent for 3 months, while the club's medical staff estimated the absence to be between 4 to 5 months.

During Barcelona's first Asian tour match against Vissel Kobe, Juan Garcia started wearing the number 1 jersey, which is Ter Stegen's usual number, and Flick quickly confirmed after the match that wearing the number was for tour purposes only, emphasizing his reluctance to engage in any confrontation with the international goalkeeper.

The newspaper "Sport" reported that Flick left the matter of registering the German goalkeeper in the team list to sporting director Deco, clarifying that he informed Ter Stegen after returning from holiday that he was not part of his plans, while maintaining full respect for him due to his career with the team since joining in 2014.

Flick is expected to make a decisive decision regarding the captaincy after the end of the Asian tour, amid demands within the club to strip it from Stegen after he published a statement about his injury without coordinating with the management.