Chelsea Has Pissed Off the Entire German Football Federation

The drama surrounding Michael Ballack took a further turn today. After being excluded from Chelsea’s Champions League squad because he may not be fit for most of the group stages (Joachim Low and the German NT doctors disagree), Ballack was also prevented from filming a publicity shoot for Adidas, the main sponsor of the German national team.

It wasn’t that Chelsea wouldn’t let Ballack participate but that they withheld permission until the last possible moment, and by then Ballack had returned to London. Germany’s national team manager, Oliver Bierhoff, blasted Chelsea and accused them of disrespecting a player of Ballack’s status.

Ballack is “sad” at Chelsea’s decision but has otherwise kept quiet about his status on his club team. And though reports are circulating that Ballack was omitted due to UEFA’s homegrown player requirement, it hasn’t dampened speculation that Chelsea are trying to offload Ballack in the January transfer window, something further fueled by Franz Beckenbauer, who claims that Ballack should have joined Manchester United instead.

Chelsea spokesman Peter Kenyon is conveniently on vacation, but it looks like Michael Ballack has become what everyone else thought he’d turn out to be – an overpaid Chelsea bench boy.

He shouldn’t worry though. He’ll probably end up at Real Madrid, just like many other overpaid and unwanted players.

And that’s it from me, folks. Tomorrow, Trent of the Arsenal Offside will be taking over Bob’s duties.

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Category: Bundesliga, English Premier League, World Football