Kicker-Interview: K: Mr. Ballack, how do you like your new job? MB: I am not self-centred and like to work for the team. The coach gives me the task to secure the game and since then we got less goals against. K: You had less goal scenes yourself and hardly scored since then. Are you satisfied with that? MB: If I got to play more defensive, then I also have less offence scenes. K: Before the season, Franz Beckenbauer praised you for you characteristic play, which is going to the offence and scoring as your big strength, that’s why you were signed. MB: Well, then they got to play like this. If you’re signing me, then you got to know that I am a dangerous midfielder. And then you can also try to play like this. But we got offensive wingers, that’s the pity for me. But if the coach wants it, then it is okay. The success is speaking for him. But on longer base I want to be closer to the box. K: How does a compromise or a solution look like? MB: That’s our system. But with that much offence potential as we have, you got to think about playing with one defender less. But this is matter of the coach, he is determining the system. That way my playing style is not the optimum, another player can play this role as well as I do. If you’re signing a player like me, you know that he is dangerous and you got to play with him like that. You may not rape him and point with the finger on him every time he’s going to the offence. Little note: I can understand that Ballack is not satisfied with this system, but he knew that before signing with Bayern. Hitzfeld always played this unattractive defence style and it was naïve to think that he’d just change it for one player. The two offensive wingers Ballack mentions cannot be the problem as Leverkusen had them last year as well.
The lure of the big money, and bigger city. Too bad for Mr ballack. He made his bed, now he gets to lie in it. Of course they will win the title, but with an extra 30Million Euros a year it should be easy.
Yes, Olaf, Hitzfield is just more defensive in his thinking. Like Eddie said, oh well, you knew the devil and signed for the money, so why complain now? Eddie, I wonder how long before even the money isn't enought and you become disillusioned and bitter since you cannot do what you are naturally gifted in doing, playing forward.
Last I checked, since Bayern started focusing on defense again they stopped losing. Ballack has to consider that playing in his favored position and losing also isn't very much fun.
well if doen't like playing, iguess he could always be the groundskeeper. I've never been really sure if he even wanted to come to Bayern, Bayern was fine before him. Omar's only been th ecoach since 1998, he was a hard man at Dortmund, just as he is at Bayern, I don't think we should take this interview to seriously, the team is really only now coming into form, give it time. Olaf do you have a link to this interview, or just the date of it.
Thanks, i just found it on kicker's website: http://www.kicker.de/content/news/a...pieltag=22&spielpaarung=&turnier=&gruppe=5952
Well, I cannot remember any interview with Ballack, in which he complained about anything. Last time he had trouble with a coach was Rehhagel, who threw him out of the roster when Ballack signed with Leverkusen.
As long there is a Mr. Scholl, playing that well, there is no place at offence midfield for Ballack. Ballack beside Jeremies in the dev. midfield is a real wall! they fight each ball. Look at Jarolim last weekend against Nürnberg, this guy has NO shot to goal... oh yeah: Lizarazu, the header of the newage!!!
Ballack will be fined for this interview. Hitzfeld announced that he'll have to pay more than Pizarro, who had to pay 10.000 Euro in January for his criticism. Ballack is expected to pay 20.000 Euro now.
I was only half-joking, I don't like Ballack as he always seems quite arrogant when I hear him interviewed, so I'm not surprised he took it upon himself to criticize his coach when the team is 10 points clear in the league! I am surprised the big fine you mention, Hitzfeld is obviously 'not amused'!
Here's an article on the fine. http://www.fcbayern.t-online.de/en/club/archive/news/09647.php?fcb_sid=SESSION_ID_66 As a Bayern fan i'm getting sick of the players very openly criticizing the coach, this is not a Bayer Leverkusen situation, even when they bottom out of the Champions League the front office stood behind Omar. I'm not saying the players shouldn't talk to the press but they really need to censor themselves abit. Talking to the press about how unhappy your are with your coach isn't going to change your role on the team, it's only going to cost you Euros, this is an internal matter, and they need to keep it that way. And here's ballack's response to the fine. http://www.michael-ballack.com/eng/
I like this part of the article from his site: "Surely the question about what would have happened to Ballack in the National team had he had to play such a restricted role as he does for Bayern must be allowed to stand. An answer to that question might be that Germany would at the very latest, had to depart the World Cup after the game against America." Olaf, I'd like to see the original german if you can throw it on here because I really don't see this as a harsh criticism, he's absolutely right.
http://www.kicker.de/content/news/a...on=2002/03&spieltag=22&spielpaarung=&turnier= Sure he is the right with the content, but why should Hitzfeld change his style he successfully played over years? It's horrible that such a destructive system has success, but that's how it is. The team with the beautiful soccer is Leverkusen since years (except this one) - if this was his aim, then he could have stayed without being poor (though surely some millions poorer)