Football – Ter Stegen’s debut delights Girona

After his debut for his new club FC Girona, Marc-André ter Stegen raised his fist, pushed himself with a “vamos, vamos” and held the ball firmly in his hands. “An incredible parade,” the newspaper headlined Mark Because of Ter Stegen’s rescue act in stoppage time, there was even talk of a “miracle in the 96th minute” with an overdose of pathos. Ter Stegen secured Girona a 1-1 draw against Getafe on Monday evening with a last-second save with his right knee. “He made a fantastic debut, he is a great asset to us,” enthused his new coach Míchel, who had put the German national goalkeeper in goal around 96 hours after his arrival on loan from FC Barcelona.

Ter Stegen, 33, who last played a league game in May 2025, wore the number 22 on his shirt – as he used to do in the DFB team. His new team only equalized at 1-1 in the fourth minute of added time, and shortly afterwards Ter Stegen made a save in the style of a handball keeper on Getafe’s last big chance. That was worth gold for Girona because the gap to the relegation zone is small and the draw on Monday meant a difference of five places in the table (ninth place instead of 14th). After his patellar tendon rupture and being sidelined by Barcelona coach Hansi Flick, Ter Stegen wants to preserve his chance of a regular place at the World Cup in the summer by moving to Girona.