Marc-Andre Ter Stegen suffered a serious injury against Villarreal and will be out for at least eight months. FC Barcelona only Inaki Pena is left as goalkeeper and has a big problem. The Catalans can currently only sign a contract with an unemployed goalkeeper, and one of them is Wojciech Szczesnywho…ended his career.
The media has begun to report the first, rather joking information that Barcelona could actually reach out for the Pole. What seemed completely unserious now seems to be true. The Catalans have allegedly already contacted Szczęsny's agents and want to persuade him to sign a one-year contract.
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Of course, if the 34-year-old actually decides to transfer to Barcelona, he would have to be registered for the league the team plays in. Supposedly, the club has the option to register the player in LaLiga despite financial fair play issues, and as in the case of Champions League?
Portal transfers.info he broke it down and pointed out that it is clearly defined by two points of the competition regulations created by UEFA. Specifically, points 31.13 and 31.14. The first of them states that each club can enter two goalkeepers on the “A” list and two on the “B” list. No more.
The second point, of course, informs about the exception, which is beneficial for Barcelona. “If a club cannot count on the services of at least two goalkeepers registered on List A due to long-term injury or illness, the club concerned may temporarily replace the goalkeeper in question and register a new one at any time during the season and end the official registration of List A with a goalkeeper who is fit to play,” the cited regulation reads.
A long-term injury is one that lasts at least 30 days, and as we know Ter Stegen may not even return to play this season. So there would be no problems with registering a new goalkeeper. Not even the “retired” Szczęsny.