Ballack is no peace

When Michael Ballack last week the team visited, he was not very talkative. The midfield player had no desire to vote again on the headline dispute with national coach Joachim Loew to talk. Ballack wanted in Berlin only fast on premiums for the World Cup qualifiers to negotiate and then very quickly back away, according to his Fußoperationen in London to train. Meanwhile, the games goes back quite well. And speaking again makes obvious fun. Before the Champions League game against Girondins Bordeaux told the midfield star of the television Chelsea premiere, as the weeks after his in a newspaper interview carried criticism of Loews personnel policies and leadership style had experienced. If you have a rueful, deeply refined professional football had expected, was disappointed. On the contrary. That the dispute on prime time news broadcasts were filled, for him everything was just a regrettable over-reaction. "It has assumed proportions that this interview was not worthy," said Ballack. When it comes to this sentence would be stayed, they would be at the headquarters of the German Football Federation (DFB) in peace to prepare for the Christmas party. But Ballack had more to tell. On the question of whether he's interview from today's perspective would undo, followed circuitous no justification. "No," said the 89-nation former players, "because I was only in a reasonable tone my opinion said. I also have attacked anyone that I wanted to do not." And even: "It has been criticized from many sides that I mean to the public'm gone. But the content was very little criticism." So nobody sounds of his criticism of the phasing out of Torsten Frings or its demand for more respect for established international players regretted. And on the occasion Ballack did the same principle still clear that his public expression and freedom of speech of a football professionals particularly at heart. "Sometimes you have to stop even a few critical notes in the public say. You can not always address everything internally. Sometimes you just want to also recognize the public go to a little jolt awake," he says. And all this after Loew last week in Berlin before the assembled team had called criticism will only internally to comment. The surprising answer Ballack leave mainly a question: What is the objective of it? The dispute between him and Loew was - at least to the outside world - has long settled. Ballack had apologized for his actions and remained in office because of all the concentration should be on the company World Cup 2010 in South Africa. With the simple answer that he is no longer on the process and would like to express the topic was done for him, if he had the conversation and new speculation can stop. Ballack did not and thus raises a further question, after Why: Was it stupidity, calculation or something in between? The former can be quickly ruled out. Ballack is not unbedarftes talent, but a football and media professionals. He knows how his words effect. Apparently it was a concern to him once again to clarify his position. In each case he makes clear to everyone that he is a mature player, which is his opinion can not accept. Whether deliberately or accidentally: The timing could hardly be more favorable. When Germany's embarrassing 1:2 against an England B team was not clear how long that Ballack has not yet replaced. When the DFB dissolves verbally thrust of the master primarily shake of the head from. In the corridors of the association headquarters yesterday they employed mainly with a question: How does the association that if a player already leadership from all sides declared closed issue again on the topic and makes unrest brings? Until further notice is the strategy: Keep calm. "For me are the differences with the interview from Frankfurt settled. The important thing is that Michael Ballack confirmed that the relationship is intact. By looking for me, there are no new facts," said DFB president Theo Zwanziger. Internally is being considered that Ballack virtually no criticism of the new Trainers formulated and thus violated the code of conduct did. The association is excited about the behavior of leadership still does not. The same goes for the coach. Loew ( "For me, this is not a new critique"), the statements Ballack looked exactly - and then decided, once nothing better to do.