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Ballack: I was right to criticize Klinsmann
BERLIN, June 7 (SW) - Germany captain Michael Ballack insists he was correct in criticizing coach Jürgen Klinsmann’s insistence on attacking after last week’s come-from-behind 2-2 draw with Japan.
After the match, Ballack, who is doubtful for Friday’s World Cup opener against Costa Rica with a calf injury, publicly questioned whether Klinsmann’s all-out attacking style was the best for the young, unstable German squad.
"The game against Japan simply was not good," Ballack said yesterday in defense of his comments.
"There were some deficiencies which I simply had to address. That is what he [Klinsmann] expects from me. The team needs to understand that a good defence will be the key to success."
Ballack’s comments last week also questioned whether Klinsmann had succeeded in building a stable squad.
“Try out one player, maybe, but the main structure of the team should be in place already.
"It's important for us players to have the certainty to know who is playing next to me. It's good to know who is playing and how we are playing; that gives us players a secure feeling.
"We have a very, very attacking style but we are losing too much possession - that is the risk of this philosophy. But we cannot afford to play at all-out risk.
"The coach knows what I think as well as what other players think. We have already spoken about this but it's up to him to make the final decisions."
And despite a 3-0 rout of Colombia last Friday, Ballack, who joined English champions Chelsea on a free transfer last month, remains troubled by the inexperience around him.
"We have players that have been on the pitch only sporadically with their club teams. We don't have the choice of players we had in the 1990 World Cup or in the 1996 European Championship," Ballack is quoted as saying in the German daily Handelsblatt.
"As a result the team makes mistakes and is not fixed. For that reason I think there is a little uncertainty as we head into the tournament.”
Germany open the World Cup finals on June 9 against Costa Rica, before meeting neighboring Poland on June 14 and Ecuador on June 20.
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