One day after Michael Ballack was ruled out of the 2010 World Cup, German frustration continued to escalate, with their ire directed at the man who took their captain out of this summer’s finals.
Germany Ratchets-Up Criticism Of Boateng Tackle On Ballack
Ballack, upon reviewing the play, has questioned whether the errant tackle from Portsmouth midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng was happenstance:
“Challenges can happen but it looks like he goes for the leg,” said Ballack. “I have seen it on TV and to say it was not on purpose means you have to be a friend of Boateng. It is very disappointing, but I have to accept it. I am angry, clearly.”
Adding more drama to the story is Boateng’s history with Ballack and the German national team.
Boateng has recently switched his national allegiance from Germany, for whom he played at junior levels, to Ghana, claiming he did not see a chance for him in the German side. Boateng did, however, also assert that he held no resentment toward the German federation.
Toward Ballack, however, Boateng may have resentment, if his father Prince is to be believed:
“Kevin’s the whipping boy once again,” he told a German newspaper. ”[In 2006] Kevin has just scored his first goal for Hertha.
“Then they played against Bayern Munich. He had an argument with Ballack. Ballack said to him, ’You’ve scored one goal and you think you are the best’. Kevin has never forgotten that.“Unfortunately Kevin isn’t very diplomatic. But I am sure, even if he didn’t foul Ballack, he didn’t mean to injure him.”
None of which helps Germany or coach Joachim Löw, who said about Ballack’s injury, “We are shocked, and we are all very, very sad.”
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