Ballack Insists He Is Still National Team Captain

Just days after the end of World Cup 2010, and just a week after Philipp Lahm suggested he would like to retain the captaincy even after the World Cup, Michael Ballack has come out and made it known to the public that he intends on taking back what he believes is rightfully his.

Ballack spoke to the press on the issue and made little of it. The new Bayer Leverkusen signing suggested that it is a formality; what was his once, will be his again.

From Goal.com: “This is no issue for me. I am the captain. A player can’t request on what position he wants to play, and it is the same with the captaincy. One should respect this, there are hierarchies.”

Many believe Ballack’s re-inclusion into the squad will upset the midfield balance that worked so wonderfully during the World Cup tournament. Schweinsteiger seems to have stepped into Ballack’s midfield role, and Khedira seems to be doing a fantastic job of both holding the midfield and then winning the ball for Germany’s more creative players. The real advantage of playing Khedira and Schweinsteiger is their speed. Without that, Germany’s counter-attack would not be as effective. So, even though Ballack may be a superior passer or a better tackler or a greater finisher, he physically would not be able to replace Schweinsteiger or Khedira in Germany’s midfield. Though, now that he is back in the Bundesliga, he has it all to prove to the German public and to Joachim Loew.