London / Cologne - The Learjet at the airport in London, waiting in vain for his celebrity guest. Adidas wanted to hastily departed Sunday from Cologne Michael Ballack bring back to Cologne - after all, he was the main actor in the filming of the commercials for Euro 2008.
But the national team captain was behind the high walls of the hyper-modern training center in the London suburb of Chelsea's Cobham zurückgezogen.Ein refuge is the home of the blues, but hardly the 30-year-olds. For destroys Chelsea Ballack. The lack of participation in EM-Werbespot represents the climax of the disrespectful handling of the German Topstar dar.
The minutes of its removal: For weeks, had tried the tips from Adidas and the DFB, with Chelsea getting the release. A week ago, sent an assistant Kenyon declined. The DFB tried to explain it, was confident. But even chief executive Herbert Hainer, whose group supported by the London annually about 20 million €, which ran in the Secretariat of the omnipotent boss Peter Kenyon from the wall.
Ballack, however, still believed in a misunderstanding. He traveled only with Chelsea representatives in Herzogenaurach, there could be missing a special shoe. Then it went to the quarters of the national team, which treated him Doc Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt. There, he waited for the okay from Chelsea. But Kenyon was on vacation, no one else felt responsible. Ballack grabbed the suitcase, went away. Bierhoff: "The decision was correct."
Shortly after 21, the clock then fluttered a fax from London. But as the consent existed, it was too late: Ballack was no longer attainable. The next morning, the national team arrived in Cobham a - for training. His plane was waiting.
"That's not jump to a national player, the DFB and Adidas to," complained national team manager Oliver Bierhoff yesterday afternoon at the DFB press conference. "But we try to ensure that he will come."
Because the message, the Inter-Continental Hotel: Ballack remains arrived in London. The diplomatic opinion of adidas "Since our players' health a top priority, we decided to give Michael the opportunity to continue his rehab program in London." But there seems to Ballack hardly a future give. For since his injury on 22 April, there were problems. He had an operation in Munich. Then trouble arose. The surgery was not discussed with the club. Chelsea doctor Bryan English and heat-manager José Mourinho, the atmosphere - wrongly, as it turns out. While the team lost the title without Ballack after another, come rumors the coach would kick him. A sideshow?
On 3 July, he must be re-operated. While Ballack fights for his comeback, is vying Real's coach Bernd Schuster publicly for the ex-Munich. Mourinho in the wake new mistrust. It follows the cancellation of the Champions League squad. Familiar report, Ballack was bent and deeply unsettled since. Defense, for he can not, because he has signed in his Treaty a confidentiality clause. "I must see that I'm healthy again. Then I can make me think about other things. "I hope Chelsea makes our captain had not yet been broken more ...
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