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Germany legend Ballack: World Cup disappointment like an 'apocalypse'
Former Germany star Michael Ballack reckons first-stage defeat in Russia has left the nation in ‘apocalyptic mood’.
Ballack, 41, was left stunned as his nation failed to qualify from a group featuring Mexico, Sweden and South Korea.
The 2014 World Cup winners had a squad laced with luxury, with Joachim Low even opting to exclude Manchester City star Leroy Sane.
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They were once again seen as one of the favourites to lift the trophy, and Ballack believes the mood in Germany is bleak after the reigning champions crashed out of this year’s tournament.
He told Betfair: “Just like all German football fans, the result from Wednesday in Kazan was a total shock for me.
“In fact, Germany’s performance throughout the World Cup and the friendlies before were a surprise. Continued success can lead to mistakes.
“It can be difficult for critics to be heard when things are going so well. But then, once you start to fail, the critical voices start to be noticed and everyone is shouting about it
“In German football, there is an apocalyptical mood right now.”
‘How can they struggle with the basics?’
Ballack, who starred for Bayern Munich and Chelsea in a career spanning 17 years, starred in two World Cups – finishing runner-up and third with Germany in 2002 and 2006 respectively.
He missed out on Germany’s triumphant World Cup victory in Brazil, though, having played his last match in 2010.
But the former midfielder believes Low should not have been handed a huge vote of confidence before the Russian World Cup.
“There is no explanation as to how a team with this quality can end at the bottom of this group,” he added. “How can this group of players struggle with all these basics of football?
“Body language, attitude, intention – these things were missing in Russia and may have been missing for some time.
“Friendlies and tournament qualifiers for a footballing nation like Germany are not proper indicators of the state of our team. For this reason, it was unnecessary to give Joachim Löw a four-year contract extension just four weeks before the World Cup started.
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“The DFB have not presented themselves in a good light, both before and during the World Cup. Problems arose, but they were not dealt with and communication from the DFB has been poor.
“They seemed too comfortable going into the tournament, despite the contract extension and the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan story. Now the people responsible for all this are under massive pressure.
“Whether Löw is still the right person to manage this team, I cannot say. In my experience, he was a really good coach who could give even weaker teams a clear plan and identity.
“Today, the coach and team have to be put under serious scrutiny. That’s for sure.”
Betfair World Cup Odds
Winner
7/2
Brazil
7/2
Spain
7/1
England
7/1
Belgium
15/2
France
12/1
Croatia
14/1
Argentina
22/1
Uruguay
22/1
Colombia
25/1
Portugal
35/1
Switzerland
66/1
Mexico
66/1
Russia
70/1
Sweden
70/1
Denmark
175/1
Japan
