Hamburg - Germany begin their World Cup campaign still affected by the fall-out of their Euro 2008 final defeat to Spain. The 1-0 loss in Vienna on June 29 ended in rancour when captain Michael Ballack and team manager Oliver Bierhoff exchanged words on the pitch after the final whistle. Only the intervention of other players prevented an escalation.
Details of the exact nature of the confrontation are only now coming to light amid reports of friction between some of the players and Ballack.
According to reports, some team-mates are not too unhappy that their 31-year-old skipper will be absent through injury as the team visits Liechtenstein on Saturday followed by a second World Cup qualifying match in Finland on Wednesday.
Ballack was clearly frustrated in the Euro 2008 final, which saw him fail yet again to emerge with a winner's medal at a major final.
The fall-out with Bierhoff had somewhat sullied the PR image of peace and harmony which the Germans had like to present since the 2006 World Cup.
Coach Joachim Loew has spoken to Ballack about the Bierhoff altercation and his behaviour towards some team-mates, and the player has now met the team manager for clear-the-air talks.
Bierhoff told Germany's Bild newspaper he saw "no problem between Michael and the team."
"Joachim Loew wants Michael to be more positive towards the team. He knows that he has to get more involved again," Bierhoff said.
"But we also want Michael Ballack to speak his mind. As a leading player and captain you sometimes have to rub people up the wrong way."
Loew remains confident his side will compensate for the loss of Ballack, who is labouring with a foot injury, in what should be a comfortable start to the World Cup Group 4 qualifiers in Liechenstein, although Finland will provide a sterner test.
Germany easily won their only two outings against Liechenstein, winning 9-2 in 1996 and 8-2 eight years ago.
The Germans also have a strong record against Finland, having lost just once - back in 1923 - in 20 matches, although their last two meetings in World Cup qualifiers in 2001 both ended in draws.
Loew has not called up a replacement - Tim Borowski was a possibility - for Ballack, and he will also be without the experienced Torsten Frings in midfield after the Werder Bremen player broke his nose at the weekend playing basketball.
There is is still an outside chance that Frings, who recovered quickly to play after fracturing his rib at Euro 2008, could return for the trip to Helsinki.
It leaves the coach with the option of fielding the midfield of Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Thomas Hitzlsperger (VfB Stuttgart), Simon Rolfes (Bayer Leverkusen) and Piotr Trochowski (SV Hamburg) which started in a 2-0 friendly victory over Belgium last month.
Borussia Moenchengladbach's 19-year-old Marko Marin is the only other midfielder in the squad, although Bayern Munich's Lukas Podolski could also be used in a midfield role.
Stuttgart's Serdar Tasci could earn a second cap in central defence, while recalled Schalke's Christian Pander and Celtic's Andreas Hinkel - back after a three-year absence - will be hoping for a chance at the back. Hanover's Robert Enke will earn his third cap in goal.
