Germany captain Michael Ballack has apologised to national team coach Joachim Loew for comments made last week in a German newspaper criticising him for showing a lack of respect to senior players.
"I must acknowledge it was unfortunately an error to chose this way (to communicate)," Chelsea midfielder Ballack said in a statement. "I will meet with Joachim Loew as soon as my health allows and I will apologise to him for my behaviour."
Ballack first apologised to Loew in a telephone conversation on Saturday evening and the pair have agreed to meet in Germany once Chelsea allows him to travel from London after recovering from his foot operation.
"I have registered the explanation of Michael Ballack," said Loew on the German Football Federation (DFB) website. "The personal discussion is much more important. Afterwards, I will give a concluding statement."
The pair are expected to meet in the next seven days once the stitches from Ballack's operation have been removed.
The row between the pair erupted last Tuesday in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) when Ballack criticised Loew and said senior players in last June's Euro 2008 squad were being treated unfairly.
"Experienced national players deserve at least some respect and loyalty," Ballack had said following Germany's wins over Russia and Wales in World Cup qualifiers. "There was a group of experienced players in that squad like Torsten Frings, Miroslav Klose and me whose achievements have suddenly been questioned and we find ourselves under attack."
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