Germany captain Michael Ballack will miss the World Cup because of a right ankle injury, dealing the three-time champions a serious blow less than a month before the tournament.
The German soccer federation said on Monday that the 33-year-old Chelsea midfielder had torn ligaments in his right ankle from a tackle during his club’s 1-0 FA Cup final victory over Portsmouth on Saturday. Ballack’s ankle has been put in a cast and the federation said he won’t be able to train for at least eight weeks.
“It’s very disappointing, but I have to accept it,” Ballack told German television, standing with crutches. “It’s football and you have to live with it. ... I am angry, clearly.”
PHOTO: EPA
Ballack later on Monday arrived in Sicily to visit the team’s training camp, the federation said.
Ballack’s absence leaves Germany coach Joachim Loew without his most experienced player and leader in a squad with many young players. The German media called it a “shock.”
The injury probably robs Ballack of the final chance to win the World Cup title after reaching the 2002 final and the 2006 semi-finals.
“We are shocked, no question about it, and we are all very, very sad,” Loew said at the team’s training camp in Sicily. “He is a very important player for us, a world class player who played a very important role in decisive games for us. There can be no question of resignation now. We are sure we can still play a good tournament.”
Loew said it was now up to young players to step up and rise to the occasion.
“We have to give them confidence,” he said.
Loew will now have to pick a new captain and find someone to fill the defensive midfield role played by Ballack, Germany’s three-time player of the year.
Despite his long and distinguished service, Ballack has been unable to win a title with Germany. He played a total of 63 minutes in his first major tournament, the 2000 European Championship.
Two years later in Japan and South Korea, his goals against the US and South Korea helped Germany reach the final. But he missed the final loss to Brazil after receiving a yellow card in the semifinals.
The 2004 European Championship was another disappointment, with Germany eliminated after the group stage. Juergen Klinsmann then took over as coach and selected Ballack as his captain.
Ballack missed the opening match of the 2006 World Cup in Germany because of a calf injury and didn’t score in the tournament.
He had two ankle operations before Euro 2008, but injured a calf before the final. Ballack played the match but Germany lost to Spain.
Ballack flew to Germany late on Sunday to be examined by national team and Bayern Munich doctor Hans-Wilhelm Mueller-Wohlfahrt on Monday. Ballack’s ankle was still too swollen on Sunday for a previously scheduled scan in London.
The federation said he should make a full recovery.
Ballack, who has made 98 appearances for Germany and scored 42 goals, was injured on Saturday after a tackle by Kevin-Prince Boateng, previously a Bundesliga player who is the half brother of Germany defender Jerome Boateng. Kevin-Prince Boateng has chosen to play for Ghana, the country of his father and one of Germany’s World Cup opponents.
Loew called the tackle “brutal,” and Ballack said the foul might have been intentional. Ballack and Boateng were involved in a scuffle shortly before the foul.
“I have seen it on TV and to say it was not on purpose means you have to be a friend of Boateng,” Ballack said after the final at Wembley. “Boateng was lucky to get away with a yellow, but it is football and if the referee controls the game and decides it is no red card you have to accept it.”
Boateng was born and raised in Berlin and played for several German youth selections, including the under-21 team. From Hertha Berlin, he moved to Tottenham, then went on loan to Borussia Dortmund before joining Portsmouth.
In comments made to Sport-Bild online, Boateng apologized.
“I am sorry. there was no intent. I was too late and hit him with full force,” Boateng said.
Germany’s incomplete squad has been in Sicily since Friday. Seven players from Bayern Munich will join the only after Saturday’s Champions League final against Inter Milan.
Germany opens its World Cup campaign against Australia and then plays Serbia and Ghana in Group D.
“He’s certainly one of their star players, but they have a strong squad,” Australia defender Craig Moore said of Ballack. “The initial impact of it happening will not be easy to handle, but there’s still plenty of time come kickoff at the World Cup when we face them.”
ADVANTAGE ATLETICO: Well off the pace in La Liga, the Copa del Rey represents Atletico Madrid’s best chance of silverware this season Atletico Madrid on Thursday hammered Copa del Rey holders Barcelona 4-0 in the first leg of their semi-final. After an Eric Garcia own-goal sent Diego Simeone’s side ahead early on, Antoine Griezmann, Ademola Lookman and Julian Alvarez struck to give Atletico a landslide lead by halftime. Barca defender Garcia was sent off in the final stages, with Atletico maintaining their significant advantage on the record 32-time winners, which they take into the second leg at the Camp Nou on March 3. Both sides missed good chances in the second half, with Barca’s Pau Cubarsi having a goal disallowed before Garcia was sent off
Stade Rennais, four days after firing coach Habib Beye, stunned Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 on Friday, snapping the defending champions’ seven-match winning run in French Ligue 1. Second-placed RC Lens could leapfrog the champions and retake top spot last night after press time if they beat Paris FC in the capital. PSG started brightly, with Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue carving openings to no avail. Rennes fired Beye on Monday and promoted his assistant Sebastien Tambouret, and the same players who had lost four games on the bounce seemed transformed. Jordanian forward Mousa al-Tamari bagged the opener, unleashing a fierce strike
Dasun Shanaka hammered the fastest half-century by a Sri Lankan in T20Is as the cohosts thrashed Oman by 105 runs at the World Cup yesterday in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, for their second win in Group B. The 2014 champions piled up 225-5, the highest total of the tournament, before restricting an outclassed Oman to 120-9. The 43-year-old Mohammad Nadeem waged a lone battle for Oman, compiling an unbeaten 53 to become the oldest player to score a 50 in T20 World Cups. Having promoted himself up the order and under pressure to deliver, Sri Lanka skipper Shanaka smashed a 19-ball half-century. It has been
Manchester City FC halved Arsenal FC’s lead at the top of the Premier League with a 3-0 home defeat of Fulham FC, and Aston Villa FC stayed in the frame with a late 1-0 victory at home to Brighton and Hove Albion FC on Wednesday. Nottingham Forest FC squandered a chance to put some distance between themselves and the bottom three as they drew 0-0 at home to bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers FC. Second-from-bottom Burnley FC pulled off a remarkable 3-2 comeback win over Crystal Palace FC to boost their slender survival hopes. City have little margin for error in their pursuit
RSS