Turmoil Surrounds German National Team
Captain Slapped, Goalkeepers Bickering, Striker Hopes For Return
Apr 23, 2009
For a team cruising through the World Cup 2010 qualifying campaign, the three-time world champions Germany are facing loads of turmoil within the squad. Captain Michael Ballack was slapped by a team-mate in a qualifer; former goalkeeper Jens Lehmann's talk of a comeback sprouted a bickering match; and striker Kevin Kuranyi hopes to come back to the side after walking out on it last October.
Ballack Leadership Questioned, Not Supported By Coach
German national team coach Joachim Löw still has plenty to worry about within his team and on the immediate surroundings. He needs to just look at his captain Michael Ballack. The veteran Chelsea midfielder has been ridiculed in the past for not being a real leader on the pitch for Germany. After the 2008 European Championship final - a 1-0 loss against Spain - Ballack was seen arguing with national team manager Oliver Bierhoff. Ballack earlier this season in British media about his lack of support from Löw - an issue which was then cleared up internally.
Ballack Slapped In World Cup Qualifier
And then in the April 1 World Cup qualifier between Germany and Wales, Ballack was seen giving instructions to Lukas Podolski and the young Bayern Munich striker slapped the team's captain in the face. No action was taken against Podolski and all parties involved were rash in downplaying the incident. Löw, however, did tell German television shortly after the match that instructions from the captain and other veteran players are to be respected.
Goalkeepers - Past And Present - Bickering
Löw's next ordeal was between the goalposts as past and present goalkeepers got into an ugly verbal exchange in the media. It started when former national team keeper Jens Lehmann, who retired from Germany after the European Championships in August, re-signed for one more season at German club Stuttgart and mentioned he would like to play again for the national team. The problem is that four younger keepers have waited for the 39-year-old Lehmann to retire - Hannover's Robert Enke (31 years), Tim Wiese (27) of Werder Bremen, Rene Adler (24) from Bayer Leverkusen and Schalke's Manuel Neuer (23). Wiese even came out publicly to the Bild daily and called Lehmann "overestimated" and "out of touch" saying he "constantly provokes" people and is "really getting on my nerves".
Even Staff Not In Unison
The German national team is giving all parties involved mixed signals. Team goalkeeping coach Andreas Köpke ruled out a Lehmann return and Löw also said Lehmann was not really a consideration. Then Löw left the door open for Lehmann, telling Bild on April 15: "I assume that our current situation will not change. But of course there are always injuries and form issues."
Gomez Being Booed
Yet another concern is national team striker Mario Gomez, who is a true scoring machine for Stuttgart in the Bundesliga but has not scored in more than a year for Germany. In Germany's 4-0 win over Liechtenstein in late March 2009, Gomez missed a couple of good scoring chances, leading the home Leipzig crowd to booing Gomez. Löw responded by telling German television after the qualifier: "I can understand the fans' frustration. But Mario needs much more the support of the crowd in this kind of situation."
Walk-Out Kuranyi Hoping For Forgiveness
Staying in the German attack for one further precarious player, Schalke striker Kevin Kuranyi was so angry that he was not even included on Germany's player list for a World Cup qualifier last October that he left his spot in the Dortmund grandstands at halftime of the match and drove back home. Kuranyi was thrown off the German national team days later, but now the 27-year-old is hoping for forgiveness and a spot in Löw's team. "I am only 27 years old and have a lot of years ahead of me. I have to show on the pitch that they need me. Everything I have today I fought to get. And that's the only way to get back into the national team," Kuranyi said in an interview in the Express daily on April 22.
The German national team coaching staff was absolutely shocked when Kuranyi left last October, not even answering calls to his cell phone from manager Oliver Bierhoff. He definitely has a lot of bridge-building to do.
