Michael Ballack will no longer be a part of the German national squad. "I have discussed things openly with Michael Ballack, most recently in our meeting in March 2011 and in numerous phone calls," coach Joachim Löw said on Thursday.
"With the Euro 2012 season about to start the time has come for me to make a clear statement," Löw said: "Recent months have shown that lots of young players with promising futures have appeared on the scene. Since the 2010 World Cup in South Africa the development of the national team has been absolutely positive."
Michael Ballack: his career in pictures
Ballack, 34, has not played for Germany since March 2010 and in his absence, the national team came third in the World Cup in South Africa last year and have opened a ten-point lead at the top of their Euro 2012 qualification group.
Löw invited Ballöack to play his 99th - and final game - for Germany against Brazil in a friendly in Stuttgart in August. "Michael Ballack was for a decade a very important leading player in the national side and contributed enormously to the great successes of the team after the 2002 World Cup," added Löw, coach since 2006.
"He shaped an era"
"He shaped an era and as captain always put himself at the service of the team, as I was able to witness at close quarters at the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008."
Ballack played for Bayern München from 2002 and 2006 before moving to Chelsea for a four-year stint at Stamford Bridge. Last season he returned to Bayer Leverkusen, but fractured his leg in only his third game back.
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Michael Ballack will no longer be a part of the German national squad. "I have discussed things openly with Michael Ballack, most recently in our meeting in March 2011 and in numerous phone calls," coach Joachim Löw said on Thursday.
"With the Euro 2012 season about to start the time has come for me to make a clear statement," Löw said: "Recent months have shown that lots of young players with promising futures have appeared on the scene. Since the 2010 World Cup in South Africa the development of the national team has been absolutely positive."
Michael Ballack: his career in pictures
Ballack, 34, has not played for Germany since March 2010 and in his absence, the national team came third in the World Cup in South Africa last year and have opened a ten-point lead at the top of their Euro 2012 qualification group.
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Löw invited Ballöack to play his 99th - and final game - for Germany against Brazil in a friendly in Stuttgart in August. "Michael Ballack was for a decade a very important leading player in the national side and contributed enormously to the great successes of the team after the 2002 World Cup," added Löw, coach since 2006.
"He shaped an era"
"He shaped an era and as captain always put himself at the service of the team, as I was able to witness at close quarters at the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008."
Ballack played for Bayern München from 2002 and 2006 before moving to Chelsea for a four-year stint at Stamford Bridge. Last season he returned to Bayer Leverkusen, but fractured his leg in only his third game back.
