Ballack dropped, but door remains open, says Loew

Germany captain Michael Ballack may have been dropped for next month’s Euro 2012 qualifiers, but coach Joachim Loew says the door is still open for him to soon return to the national squad.

The 33-year-old has been left out of the games against minnows Belgium in Brussels next Friday then Azerbaijan four days later in Cologne to work on his fitness with World Cup skipper Philipp Lahm likely to retain the captaincy.

Ballack suffered an ankle injury in May which kept him out of South Africa and in his absence, Germany finished third and played arguably the most attractive football of the tournament.

Loew informed Ballack by telephone he is not part of the 21-man squad for the two qualifiers and with Ballack working his way back to fitness with the Leverkusen squad, there is no hint the ex-captain has been dropped for good.

“It was a good and honest talk,” Loew told SID, an AFP subsidiary.

“Michael is on the right track three months after his serious injury and we are all satisfied with the recovery process.

“What is important now is that he works his way back into form with Leverkusen.”

The hot topic in the German media is the “K-frage” or who will captain Germany through their Euro 2012 campaign – Ballack or Lahm.

Ballack does not cut a sympathetic figure: he is a dominant character and has clashed with both striker Lukas Podolski and team manager Oliver Bierhoff on the pitch during games for his country.

After former veteran midfielder Torsten Frings was dropped from the Germany squad in October 2008, Ballack accused Loew of not showing his senior players enough respect, but later apologised.

At that time, Ballack was in a powerful position as Germany’s only genuine world-class player, while Loew was only two years into the job.

Two years on, Loew’s position is far stronger having guided a young Germany squad to third in South Africa, while Real Madrid’s Sami Khedira is ten years younger than Ballack and is being groomed to replace him.

Lahm turns 27 in November and as well as being an outstanding defender, has a fresh-faced image and prefers to let his football speak for him.

Ballack is back in the Bundesliga after his four-year hiatus with Chelsea and is now under pressure to prove himself after failing to have his contract extended in London and losing his place in the Germany squad.

However, Leverkusen’s director of sport Rudi Voeller said Ballack has advised the midfielder against travelling.

“All eyes would have been on him,” said Voeller.

“Michael would have had to shoot for goal, follow it up and then header home, just to prove he really is fit.”

Germany have a Euro 2012 qualifier against Turkey at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium on October 8 and then away to Kazakhstan on October 12 and should Ballack then be left out of the squad again, eyebrows will be raised.