Ter Stegen loses his light: the operations on the knee, his worst percentage of stops and the blind confidence of Barça

• Lopetegui "One of the best Barcelona of a long time awaits us"

The story of the model, essential to understand both the success and the fall of Barcelona, ​​usually takes everything ahead. The answers, but also the alibis, are sought in the model. When yesterday

tried to defend

, a goalkeeper who has abandoned his demigod status to experience one of the most difficult moments of his career, the coach began to praise his footwork. «His departure from the ball gives us life. Only

is at his level in that sense, "said the coach.

Let's look back.

, probably one of the best goalkeepers in the history of Barcelona, ​​and also the one who wore the Barça shirt the most times, gave a press conference on May 31, 2013 in which he announced that he would not renew his contract. When there were a couple of questions left to conclude that appearance, Valdés was asked what the goalkeeper's role should be at Barça. And Valdés, who did not hide having been waiting for that question throughout his career, caused a short circuit in Barcelona's imaginary.

“Everybody talks about foot play. And I always say that the Barça goalkeeper must be the best in the world in a one-on-one game. The numbers say that each season you face 25 or 30. Therefore, more than the game with your feet, one against one is more important. And nobody talks about that. That statement by Valdés went completely unnoticed. He himself was aware that improving the ball output helped him. But also that if he had not stopped, with the final of the Champions League in Berlin as the culminating point of his career, the Camp Nou would have swallowed him up.

If there is something that makes Ter Stegen special, it is that he does not express his emotions. A conceded goal does not make him lower his head. He also does not hug himself or take it with the partner on duty. He does not look for excuses. Neither own nor others. He simply adjusts his gloves again and stands under sticks photocopying an expression that never changes. "It is their way of shielding themselves from the outside," they explain from the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper. The club leaders say they have no doubts with the German goalkeeper, who is not looking for a replacement despite the extensive rumor mill about it. Coach Xavi Hernández tries to encourage him, without thinking about the search for an alternative that he does not contemplate at this point, such as the Brazilian Neto or the young Iñaki Peña. In fact, José Ramón de la Fuente, Dela,He is one of the few who has resisted the changes of the Terrassa coach and continues to be the guardian angel of the German goalkeeper. But Ter Stegen stopped stopping as he used to.

While it is true that differentiating the goalkeepers according to their statistics can be counterproductive as they are the most exposed to structural and collective errors, Ter Stegen's records are very striking.

So are

.

Two goalkeepers who have been losing confidence as their teams have opened the door to their rivals.

Courtois

Ter Stegen is the second worst goalkeeper in percentage of saves in the League (he barely saves 58% of shots on goal).

It only has Oblak below (50%).

Although it is the goals of the most humble teams who have more options to show off as they are the ones who receive the most shots,

statistics

at Real Madrid (76% correct) speaks of their relevance in the area.

Above he only has Sevillista

(77%) and Athletic goalkeeper and Spanish international

(77%).

Ter Stegen's percentage of success in stops had never been below 70%.

Last year, 71% still resisted, with the 2016-17 (79%) and 2017-18 (78%) campaigns being where the goal reached its peak of form.

In this league, the German goalkeeper has conceded 18 goals in 15 games.

Things have not gone better in the Champions League, with nine goals conceded in the six group stage matches.

Only in six of the 21 official games he has played this season has he been able to leave a clean sheet.

In the club they are reluctant to consider that Ter Stegen may have lost explosiveness after the last three summers he has had to treat his right knee, with delicate surgical interventions included to repair the patellar tendon by

(August 2020) and the Swedish

(May 2021).

Ter Stegen, 29 years old and with a contract until 2025, appears tonight in Sánchez Pizjuán ready to fulfill his 300th game with Barcelona.

Only

(332),

(387),

(410) and Valdés (the aforementioned 535) have defended the Barça goal more times.

Increasingly discussed, he chooses to stand his ground.

Although your hands are no longer as reliable as your feet.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

• Ter Stegen

• Barcelona

• FC Barcelona

• sports

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