Ter Stegen: I’ve Missed Messi for Three Years; Barca Can Compete with Real Madrid for the Title This Season

When Ter Stegen joined Barcelona ten years ago, he was an obscure young goalkeeper. By 2024, Ter Stegen had become a great goalkeeper worthy of being written into Barcelona’s history.

The German is the 12th player in terms of appearances in Barcelona’s history (413 games), second only to Valdés among goalkeepers. In a recent interview with ESPN, Ter Stegen praised his new head coach Flick and stated that the team has the ability to compete with Real Madrid for the title.

Reflecting on his ten years at Barcelona, Ter Stegen expressed deep sentiment: “I am very satisfied with this unique experience. As a player and as a person, I have always been learning and improving. I believe I have fulfilled the advice Zubizarreta gave me when I signed. Playing for Barcelona is a big deal, and I always enjoy it. Every time I put on the Barcelona jersey, I give everything for this badge.”

Speaking about the new manager Flick, with whom Ter Stegen worked in the German national team, he said: “Hansi places great emphasis on physical training, which is part of his coaching philosophy. I think this can provide us with the necessary fitness throughout the season. At the same time, he is a very hardworking person who expects us to give our all just like him. He is clear about what he wants and communicates it directly. For him, it is very important that everyone knows their position and what they need to do for the team.”

Real Madrid enjoyed great success last season, and Ter Stegen believes the current Barcelona can compete with them. He said, “I think the team is ready to compete for the title. We started preparing with great enthusiasm, and I firmly believe we have a good squad to compete. It will be a long season, and we are all eager to compete for titles. Signing new players? That’s up to the club, but I think the current squad is already good. So far, I’ve seen a strong desire to play from the young players in the team, and I think we can compete with any team.”

In the final part of the interview, Ter Stegen talked about missing the greatest player in club history, Messi: “It’s been three years, and I still miss Messi. As a player, Messi is one-of-a-kind. He maintained the highest level in every game, and he is the greatest footballer in history.”