What?! Alonso reached out to ter Stegen
Marc-André ter Stegen's position at Barcelona is on shaky ground right now, as the club has initiated disciplinary action against their now-former captain. And that's when the German goalkeeper received a truly unexpected phone call.
Details: According to teamTALK, Barcelona's shot-stopper was contacted by none other than Real Madrid's head coach, Xabi Alonso. If you thought the conversation was about a sensational transfer to the other side of the El Clásico divide, think again.
In reality, Alonso wanted to hear the German keeper’s opinion on his compatriot and fellow goalkeeper Alexander Nübel, who is on Bayern Munich's books but currently playing for Stuttgart on loan. The Real Madrid boss sees the “recordmeister” goalkeeper as a potential long-term replacement for Thibaut Courtois.
For his part, ter Stegen gave a positive review of Nübel. The report also notes that Alonso might even consider bringing ter Stegen on board as a goalkeeping coach in the future, given the high regard he has for him.
Recall: Ter Stegen is currently sidelined with an injury, and the situation has sparked major controversy at the Catalan club, as the German refused to sign a medical release that would have allowed Barcelona to save on his salary.
Liam Garcia
Dailysports's expert
