This Monday Marc-Andre Ter Stegen arrived at Girona on a loan basis after leaving Barcelona. He had featured in a 1-1 draw with Getafe. His decisive save during the stoppage time assisted Girona in getting a point.
Even though his performance was good, there was one thing that attracted the attention of everyone. Ter Stegen wore the No. 22 jersey. This is not characteristic of a goalkeeper who is just starting his career in LaLiga. Majority of goalkeepers keep to such traditional numbers as 1, 13, or 25.
There are quite clear rules in the Royal Spanish Football Federation. The numbers assigned to the squads must be 1-25. Goalkeepers usually take 1, 13, or 25. A first-team goalkeeper rarely has a goal record higher than that.
Not at Girona, however, had all the regular goalkeeper numbers been taken. Dominik Livakovic wears No. 1. Paulo Gazzaniga has No. 13. No. 25 is employed by Vladyslav Krapyvtsov. There was no number free; therefore, Ter Stegen received special treatment.
LaLiga and RFEF gave him permission to use No. 22. This leaves Ter Stegen as the only goalkeeper in LaLiga to have such number this season. The exception did not pass by fans and media. A goalkeeper in this number is not something common and this is particularly at the highest level.
It is not a question of style when it comes to No. 22. It is a practical reflection of what is going on at Girona. Exception may be requested by the clubs when regular numbers are not available. The flexibility by which LaLiga handled it demonstrates that the rules are applicable to actual situations.
The debut of Ter Stegen was one that brought back his quality as well. Although donning a strange number, he acted as a goalkeeper of the highest quality. The Barcelona experience allowed Girona to cope with the last moments of the game. The jersey No. 22 was discussed, yet his saves won the reporters.
The spectators talked about the jersey on social networks. There were numerous re-posts and emphasization of the rarity of it. It was mentioned that Ter Stegen has become one of just a short number of goalkeepers in the history of LaLiga to wear a non-traditional number.
In the case of Girona, the goalkeeper of this caliber is an added advantage. The loan transaction enables him to earn playing time. The No. 22 jersey may be a strange one, but it is now the contribution he makes to the team. It is a message that there are occasions when there are exceptions to rules, and football always manages to adjust.
