Ballack's Got A Point To Prove To Germany Before He Is Called Up Again.

Reports out of the Germany camp first suggested that Philipp Lahm had created a rift in the team after declaring that he would not give up captaincy of the national team willingly, even with Michael Ballack’s return after the World Cup. Oliver Bierhoff, who is on Joachim Loew’s staff with Die Mannschaft, came out in the press and further explain the situation.

From Goal.com:

“There is no dissent whatsoever, not even a hint of conflict. It’s not the case, Ballack visited the team in Sicily before the tournament and it was always agreed that he would visit for the quarter-final.”
“It is an unfortunate coincidence that Ballack’s departure and Lahm’s statement coincided. He felt good and had excellent physiotherapy, luckily his injury is healing surprisingly fast… he needs a lot of rehab now, he needs special facilities and a lot of time.”
“We have freedom of speech in the team and need players willing to speak their mind. It is rather like when a player says he is disappointed to be left out – are you supposed to be annoyed that he is disappointed? In the end, it is the coach who makes the decision over who is captain.”

Before the tournament, Ballack’s injury was seen as a minor tragedy in Germany. Many believed that without Ballack, the midfield would be in pieces and Germany would have a very hard time reaching the quarter-finals. Now, though, it is clear that the German national team have been able to function very admirably without Michael Ballack. The point must be made, then: Should Michael Ballack be called up again, or should Khedira and Schweinsteiger be first-choice in the midfield and Lahm permanently keeps the arm band?