Back when Victor Valdes fell injured on the same year he announced his retirement, people were preoccupied because they felt there wasn't going to be another goalie who could be as reliable as the Catalan. But for the FC Barcelona board, a new challenge came forth and they went all the way to try and sign a competent goalkeeper. They found themselves well covered with not one but two of them, but later on Chilean Claudio Bravo decided to play somewhere else.
Now that Ter Stegen has remained, there is a lot of trust deposited in his talents. Former Barcelona defender Gianluca Zambrotta, is convinced that Ter Stegen will be as great as Valdes was back in his time. Talking to Omnisport, he said: "You can't discuss a goalkeeper like Victor Valdes. He made history for Barcelona and was phenomenal in Spain. For sure even he [Ter Stegen] can make history as Barcelona are doing great things. He can become [the new Valdes]."
He also discussed the emotions of playing El Clasico: "I remember the great emotion and the huge build-up in the week leading to the game. The same in the warm-up and during the game itself. The wait is tense. That week is only about the game. Newspapers talk about it endlessly. There is a lot of pressure. It is still a great match. Lately Barcelona and Real Madrid have always faced each other with a squad of extraordinary players.
"And we have [Zinedine] Zidane as a manager too, then Ronaldo, just to mention one player at Real. On the other side Messi, Suarez and Neymar. A great and beautiful game everybody in the world wants to watch."
Photo credit: FC Barcelona