Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen was unable to cast his vote in Sunday’s presidential election due to an outdated club membership, as confirmed by a source to ESPN.
The 33-year-old player was among the large crowd that gathered at Spotify Camp Nou to support either Joan Laporta or Victor Font for the position of president of the Catalan club.
However, Ter Stegen faced an embarrassing situation. After waiting for five minutes, he discovered that his name was missing from the electoral register, which prevented him from voting.
All players automatically become members, referred to as socios, when they join FC Barcelona, but it is their responsibility to keep their membership current.
According to sources, Ter Stegen’s membership had not been updated, leading to his exclusion from the voting register.
Presently, the German goalkeeper is on loan at Girona, but he is currently dealing with an injury.
Barcelona members are deciding between the incumbent president Laporta and challenger Font, who came in second behind Laporta five years ago. Voting will close at 9 PM local time on Sunday, with results expected shortly thereafter.
– Barcelona reintroduces fans and the singing section to Camp Nou
In addition to the voting locations at Spotify Camp Nou, members can also cast their votes at polling stations in Tarragona, Girona, Lleida, and Andorra.
A total of 114,504 members are registered to vote, with many current and former players participating in the election.
Players from Barça Femení, including Aitana Bonmatí and Laia Aleixandri, as well as defender Héctor Fort, currently on loan at Elche, and former stars like Sergio Busquets, Xavi Hernández, Guillermo Amor, and Carles Rexach were also seen casting their votes.