Germany midfielder Michael Ballack has hit out at captaincy rival Philipp Lahm, claiming that the defender was wrong to go public on the matter ahead of the World Cup and should have spoken to him personally.
GettyImagesBallack, Lahm and Low: To be reunited
A serious knee injury saw 34-year-old Ballack ruled out of the World Cup, with Lahm taking the captain's armband and leading his side to a third-place finish, but questions have now been raised over who will take charge when Ballack returns to the fold.
The Bayer Leverkusen midfielder, who returned to the club after leaving Chelsea in the summer, feels that the issue of the Germany captaincy has been badly handled.
"It is a question of respect towards the captain," Ballack told German daily Express. "I have a clear opinion on this: to focus attention on the issue publicly at that time was wrong.
"If he had spoken to me, it would have left me with a very different impression. We have since spoken briefly. I still maintain you shouldn't do something like that.But we are professionals and something like that should not ever play a role."
Ballack also slammed coach Joachim Low for only announcing in September that the ex-Chelsea star will resume as national captain when he returns for injury next month.
"If he had made the announcement three months before, we would have avoided any unnecessary discussions," he said. "I was hurt, I could not do anything. But I am glad that the national coach made the position clear after the event."
With Bastian Schweinsteiger and Sami Khedira forming an excellent partnership in his absence, Ballack also admits that he may struggle to assert himself on the side again.
"I will prove myself again, but I feel that at 34 years of age, it will be harder to reach the level to be able to play at the top again," he said. "This is a huge challenge. I also have a commitment to my club Bayer Leverkusen and the fans who expect a lot from me. I will return some of the faith they have placed in me."
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