Skip to content

Ballack felt badly treated

Image: Michael Ballack: Saddened by how Germany career ended

Michael Ballack has admitted he turned down the opportunity to play in a farewell game because of how he was treated by the national side.

Former German captain unhappy at how international career ended

Michael Ballack has admitted he turned down the opportunity to play in a farewell game for Germany because of how he was treated by the national side's management. The midfielder's international career came to a premature end after a challenge in the 2010 FA Cup final ruled him out of World Cup that summer. After months of claims by the Germany management that Ballack still had an international future, he was finally offered one last game as a send-off. But the 35-year-old feels they should have just been honest with him from the start.

Pride

"It has nothing to do with pride," Ballack told Sky Sports Germany. "If they had been open with me and told me their intentions, then I would have been the last person not to cooperate to find a solution. "It would have been fair to discuss things with me, but that didn't happen. "It is only logical that I turned down the testimonial because I had been kept waiting for 11 months not knowing where I stood. "So many things happened which were not correct and I think my reaction is understandable."

Around Sky