La Liga: A difficult decision awaits Barcelona
Both Claudio Bravo and Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Barcelona’s number one and two goalkeepers respectively, want to be top dog this season. Will Barcelona be forced to decide between the two?
Nobody likes having to make a decision between two things they like. It’s almost an existential crisis. We want this one but also that one, in equal measure, and almost as much as we don’t want to have to choose between them. The idea was played on by Old El Paso for their Home Taco Kit advertisements some ten years ago. Two kids argue over the soft taco and the hard taco while a third stops them and simply says “why not both?” She is heralded as a hero and the family proceed to stuff their faces with tacos.
A lovely ending, but sadly a fairy-tail for most real world decisions today. Take Barcelona for instance, for too long they have tread the fine line of having to pick this or that with their goalkeepers, always stepping on eggshells to delay the all-but-inevitable choice between the two. It seems, for now at least, the chickens have come home to roost.
Barcelona’s mainstay number one Claudio Bravo was set to stand between the sticks yet again this season, with his deputy Marc-Andre ter Stegen looking at taking over for the cup competitions, Champions League included, as was done in years previous. Now it seems, this is no longer good enough for ter Stegen. Having played second fiddle to the far older Bravo for some time, ter Stegen rightfully feels that, at 24, he’s ready to be Barcelona’s undisputed number one as they had planned from the beginning.
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The problem with this, however, is Bravo is still around and still playing as good as ever. His performances in the Copa America, which he played a vital role in helping Chile win, displayed a world-class goalie who shows little signs of slowing down even at 33. Bravo has earned his spot between the sticks at Camp Nou for the league through his top rate distribution and clearly superior shot stopping over ter Stegen.
What does this dilemma mean for Barcelona going forward? Mundo Deportivo, as quoted by the Daily Mail, have reported just today that ter Stegen is forcing the issue with manager Luis Enrique with the full knowledge that clubs such as Manchester City lie in wait for the German. Barcelona banked on ter Stegen being their keeper once Bravo moves on, but that time has not yet come.
Further, Bravo has stated on many occasions he too wouldn’t accept a lesser role of cup competitions only at Barcelona, and why would he? He has proven himself to be among the best, and could easily attract suitors for his services from Europe’s top clubs. Interestingly, City are said to be eying Bravo as well, perhaps sitting in the middle waiting to see which one is the loser in the affair.
Suffice it to said, Enrique will struggle to come out a winner one way or another. My gut tells me he will pick the future, ter Stegen, valued at north of £40million by the Mail, over Bravo who would command half of that. Indeed, SPORT today reported that Barcelona have again insisted ter Stegen won’t be moved by the club, unless a team meets his release clause sitting pretty at £65million.
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Nonetheless, it’s a difficult decision to be made as, arguably, it presents a current setback for a Barcelona team with a title to hold onto and a point to prove in the Champions League this coming season. One thing is for certain, neither Bravo nor ter Stegen are willing to be second best to each other and that means something has to give. A choice needn’t be made with Old El Paso, but with Old El Goalkeeper it may have to be made sooner rather than later.