Ruled out German captain Michael Ballack

Ballack received the injury that has prevented him from playing in the 2010 World Cup, a tournament which could well have been the 32 year old’s last chance to represent his country in a major competition, after a perceived foul by Kevin-Prince Boateng. Boateng plays for Ghana, who will be a group stage opponent of Germany’s in South Africa, though his half brother Jerome Boateng is a Germany international player.

Boateng has made a heartfelt apology, saying that it was not intentional and he was “just too late”, hitting Ballack straight on. He also says he apologised twice to Michael Ballack on the pitch during the game, which Ballack’s team Chelsea ended up winning 1-0, meaning Chelsea had won the double of the English Premier League and the domestic cup.

Ballack’s agent Michael Becker believes that the foul was, despite Boateng’s claims, premeditated, and is considering legal action. “The football field is not outside the law,” Becker says, “even if Boateng believes that.”

Becker insists that anybody watching the game can see the foul was premeditated, though there are plenty of other people, including former Chelsea player Graeme LeSaux, who commented on Sky Sports News, who do not agree.

Ballack himself is bitterly disappointed to be missing the tournament, and will apparently need to make decisions around whether he will go on to play in the Euro 2012 qualifiers and competition, given that he will be 34 by the time that tournament takes place.

Joachim Low, the Germany manager, has not called up any new players for his preliminary squad in light of Ballack’s injury, saying he is waiting to see if any injuries are sustained to his other players in Bayern Munich’s Champions League final appearance against Inter Milan on Saturday.

Ballack is 33 year old and has 98 caps from German team and has been a star performer. He was quite certain that the injury was not threatening and he will recover quickly. He also said in an interview that he is worried about the MRI report and now it is clear that why he was worried. The German Football Federation has made it clear that the injury Ballack is facing is not minor and he will not be available for the World Cup 2010 finals in South Africa.

“It’s hard to accept, of course I’m disappointed,” Ballack said on Monday.

Ballack will not be able to practice football in next 8 weeks and it will impossible for him to join German team in the World Cup. Captain’s injury has created lot of troubles for German team and coach Joachim Leow will have to find Ballack’s replacement in a very short time. German team has already lost Rene Adler, the goalkeeper, last month. If proper replacement is not found in coming two weeks then German team might face much more problems.

Teams have to submit their preliminary squad list of 30 players by the 1st of June and Germany had already given its list of 27 players. Ballack is now ruled out and the change in list is expected. It remains to be seen who will turn up at Ballack’s place and how German team will perform in the World Cup. Germany is in group D of the World Cup and will face Serbia, Australia and Ghana in its group matches.

Can new manager Fabio Capello make the difference this time? Well, this is what many believe, and the German captain Michael Ballack, playing in Chelsea, considers England one of the big favorites to win World Cup 2010.

“With Fabio Capello, they now have a manager who has brought stability. That is important and the team feels that.” Ballack says to german newspaper Rheinische Post.

He also talks about the self-confidence in the English players for the moment, and that they have players with “exceptional individual class”.

With regards to his own, the normally so strong, German team, they are struggling a bit for the moment and have fallen a bit behind.

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“There is a good chance we will reach the final again.” says Ballack.

Germany has just been given their new shirts for the upcoming World Cup and it is a return to the more traditional and clear style which seems very appreciated by the team. Ballack even stated that the new shirts gives extra motivation.

The German captain is of course hopeful of reaching another final as he missed out on the 2002 World Cup final due to suspension and the German team is always one of the favorites to win the trophy.

Germany will now face Chile and Ivory Coast in two friendlies played on Saturday and the second one on the 18th November. German coach Joachim Loew says that he will use these games to try some players, such as Werder Bremen midfielder Aaron Hunt and even Thomas Mueller that has been impressive in Bayern Munich.

The new shirt looks nice but won’t count for much if they don’t perform on the pitch in World Cup 2010, exactly like German football legend Franz Beckenbauer stated;

“You must win the games, otherwise the best looking shirt is of no use to you,” Bayern Munich president Beckenbauer says.