Schalke midfielder Jermaine Jones has criticised Germany coach Joachim Löw for not giving him a "fair chance".

Jones this week revealed he was going to represent the USA in future and turn his back on Germany after making just three appearances in friendly matches.

And since making his decision known, the 27-year-old has not missed any opportunity to accuse Löw and the German Football Association (DFB) of making his decision for him.

In an interview with Sport Bild magazine, Jones lashed out at Löw.

"It is since February that I have not understood why I was not in the following international games," he said. "The basis upon which they make decisions annoys me - certainly it does not come down to performance.

"In my case, it was unfair and not correct. I did not have a fair chance with the DFB."

Although Jones denies claiming in an interview with an American newspaper that he does not fit in racially in Germany, he reinforced his belief that his refusal to toe the line could have cost him his international future under Loew.

"You have always got to keep your mouth shut, agree with everything and obey the DFB," he explained. "I am a lad with a strong character. With the DFB, there are two leaders in Torsten Frings and Michael Ballack, but that is it.

"All of the rest just follow (rules) and keep quiet, which I can understand because there is a climate of uniformity. But that is not me."

The Schalke midfielder added that Löw had told him precisely what he needed to work on, but that these proved to be "empty words" since no actions followed.

And it was clear to him upon arrival at the national team's training camp in Mallorca at the end of May that he was not going to be one of the players sticking with the squad for their tour of Asia in June.

He said: "The coach always says that everybody has a chance here, but that did not seem to be the case. Marko Marin, Patrick Helmes and I were called up to Mallorca but as soon as we got there, we were given the last numbers in the squad.

"We asked (general manager Oliver) Bierhoff immediately if this meant anything and he said 'no', but everything was heading in that direction from the very beginning. We had a bitter taste back then and that remains to this day since our feelings were confirmed."

Jones' decision to represent the USA in future may have repercussions at club level.

New Schalke coach Felix Magath admitted the extra travelling involved in representing his new country "leaves its mark after a while".

He added: "This choice has disadvantages for him. He will have to travel half the way around the world for his games. You can cope with that for maybe two or three times."


[ESPN]

Michael Ballack will captain Germany at the 2010 World Cup, assuming the three-times winners qualify, but midfield colleague Torsten Frings still has work to do to secure his place, coach Joachim Löw said.

Löw had a public falling-out last year with both Ballack and Frings after the two men criticised the way senior players were being handled in the squad.

Both played in the recent friendly defeat by Norway and Ballack at least has been assured of his continuing presence.

"If (Ballack) is fit he will be there as captain in 2010," Löw told Bild newspaper. "Of course it was a very strong conflict with Michael. But we live in football, not in some holy world. You will always have conflicts."

He added: "We all made mistakes last year. All of us."

Löw sounded less certain of Frings's chances of being in the squad for South Africa.

"Torsten was injured for quite some time," said Loew, who guided Germany to the runners-up spot at Euro 2008.

"He must work now to get back to his old form. But we also have to see how the team will develop, with some new players coming in, even from the current season."

Germany, who play World Cup qualifiers against Liechtenstein on March 28 and Wales on April 1, top Group Four with 10 points from four matches. Russia are second on six with a game in hand.

German coach Joachim Löw and Michael Ballack have corrected their differences in a meeting at the DFB headquarters on Thursday. The conflict had orginated following an openly critical interview by the Chelsea player.

During the non-public meeting, Löw and his captain succeeded in establishing a new foundation for their continued team work and collaboration.

The currently injured German captain Michael Ballack (89 caps) was given permission by FC Chelsea to travel to Germany. He returned to London Thursday night.

On Friday, Ballack said: "I admit that it was not correct to seek the public and I regret, that some people got the impression that I had intended to criticize Joachim Löw in his position as the German coach. I have given Joachim Löw my apologies.

"He is the German coach. He will make all the decisions, and we have to accept them. Following our talk, I look forward to returning to the national team, where we will enjoy a positive atmosphere. I feel sure that we will reach our goals."

Joachim Löw stressed on Friday: "We had a frank and open talk, which was important. Michael Ballack continues to be my captain. But even a captain has to conform to certain rules. He knows perfectly well, that he’s free to address every issue internally. But the final decisions are made by our coaching staff, including issues regarding the playing personal. I have made that very clear to Michael.

"I feel very good about the outcome of our talks, as we have kept an outstanding player, who had a major role in our recent successes, on our team. Now we will work very hard to reach our goals on the road to the 2010 FIFA World Cup."

Both sides agreed not to reveal any more details of the Thursday meeting.

The president of the German Football Association has questioned the motives behind Michael Ballack's apology to national coach Joachim Low.

The Chelsea midfielder released a statement on Saturday in which he admitted criticising Low's treatment of Torsten Frings and Kevin Kuranyi in a recent interview had been a mistake.

The Chelsea man also signalled his intention to say sorry to Low in person when he had recovered from a foot operation and was fit to travel to Germany.

But DFB chief Theo Zwanziger fears Ballack's actions could be just a ploy to avoid being stripped of the captaincy.

"The apology has taken the edge off the conflict. And at least it has now been clarified that the mistake clearly lay with our captain,'' Zwanziger told the online version of Die Welt newspaper.

"Now we certainly have to face the question: How reasonable is Michael Ballack? Is the apology only tactics or is it really meant honestly?''

Low last week summoned Ballack for one-to-one talks after being "disappointed'' at comments the made in a newspaper interview.

Ballack had suggested to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that Low had been disrespectful in his recent treatment of Frings and Kuranyi.

Low was incensed his skipper had used the media to criticise him and threatened to strip him of the national team captaincy.

Zwanziger has spoken with Low and Germany manager Oliver Bierhoff about Ballack over the past few days.

"We discussed what the explanation means and questioned whether with it everything is now sorted,'' he added. "Joachim Low does not see it like that and I also don't see it like that.

"We have to exactly scrutinise what intentions lie behind the statements, and at the end of the talk it has to be guaranteed that nothing like this will happen again.''

Germany coach Joachim Löw has reiterated his desire to speak to Chelsea's Michael Ballack, but insists he will not be flying to London to meet him.

Löw summoned the Germany captain for a one-to-one talk after being criticised by the Blues midfielder in a newspaper interview last week.

Ballack's club blocked him from flying to Germany as a precautionary measure after the former Bayern Munich man underwent foot surgery recently, but Löw feels it was the player's duty and not that of his club to rule out a meeting.

"I told him quite clearly that I would have expected him to tell me that personally," Löw told Monday's Bild newspaper.

Instead, he learned that Ballack would not be coming to see him when a fax arrived at the German Football Association headquarters last Friday.

Chelsea coach Luiz Felipe Scolari had earlier invited Löw to London to speak with his player, but Löw would not consider that.

"Even if other people see things differently, I would never have flown to London," added Löw.

"That has always been my stance from the beginning and I am sticking by it."

Löw will now wait for Ballack to be given the all-clear to fly to Germany before holding talks that should decide the 32-year-old's international career.

BERLIN, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Germany captain Michael Ballack plans to apologise to coach Joachim Löw in person in a move that should help to cool their public row.

"I will sit down with Joachim Löw, as soon as my injury permits, and apologise for my behaviour to him," Ballack was quoted as saying in a statement released by the German Football Association (DFB) on Sunday.

Ballack's position as captain came under threat when Löw reacted furiously to a newspaper interview in which the Chelsea midfielder suggested senior players were not being treated with enough respect.

Plans for a meeting between the two men were scuppered on Friday when Chelsea said he could not travel because of his foot injury but the DFB said on Sunday that Ballack had telephoned Löw again on Saturday evening.

"I told Jogi Löw that it was never my intention to criticise the work he is doing as national team coach," Ballack was quoted as saying. "I just wanted to show support for my fellow players.

"I admire Jogi Löw as a player and a professional very much."

Löw told the DFB he would wait for the meeting to take place before making any comment.

"I've noted Ballack's explanation but much more important is our private discussion," Leow said.

The row over the treatment of senior players exploded after Löw left Kevin Kuranyi and Torsten Frings out of the starting line-up for Germany's World Cup qualifier against Russia this month.

Kuranyi walked out on the team while the match was still going on, bringing his international career to an end, while Frings, after being left out of the starters for the next match as well, said he would consider his future.

Germany coach Joachim Low is to summon captain Michael Ballack to Germany to discuss his future with the national team in the wake of damaging comments made in a newspaper interview.

Ballack accused Low of lacking respect for older players such as Torsten Frings in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Newspaper earlier this week.

The Chelsea midfielder is unhappy with the way Frings and Kevin Kuranyi have been sidelined by Low, suggesting they have been treated with a lack of respect and asking: Where are we going to end up?''

These remarks have left Low seething and he wants to speak to Ballack face to face.

He said today: I will telephone Michael Ballack and summon him for a talk in Germany.

(I will) tell him that I am hugely disappointed with the route he has chosen and that the remarks he has made are unacceptable.''

Ballack's future as Germany captain and his whole international career are riding on the discussion and Low has not ruled excluding Ballack in the same way as he ended Kuranyi's international career, at least temporarily, 10 days ago.

My decision depends on what happens in this discussion,'' revealed Low. We will just have to wait and see where we go.

We have often encouraged Michael Ballack to speak up about the things he, as captain, sees critically, but for him to use the media to criticise our work is completely wrong and cannot be accepted.''

Low did not play Frings in the recent World Cup qualifiers against Russia and Wales.

And Kuranyi was told he would not play for Germany again while Low is in charge after he left the Westfalenstadion at half-time of their World Cup qualifying victory over Russia because he was left out of the 18-man matchday squad.

Low said: No player, not even the captain, has the right to criticise the coach in reference to his team selection and choices or to even revolt against the coaching team publicly.

It seems that the term 'respect' goes hand in hand with an automatic place in the starting XI.

But there are other personal and tactical things that a coach must consider when he makes his decisions.

The coaching team will not accept anybody saying we lack respect.''

Among other things, Ballack said of Frings' omission: If you don't want anybody any longer, then you should just say so honestly. Respect and loyalty is the least a worthy national player can expect.''

He also expressed his disappointment at not having been contacted by Low since undergoing foot surgery.

Germany coach Joachim Loew has praised Torsten Frings for his attitude on Thursday after the disappointed midfielder was not called up by Löw in the game against Turkey. He later came off the bench at the start of the second half to play a key part in the Euro 2008 semi-final victory over the battling Turks.

Read more about what Löw had to say about Frings.>>

"We are absolutely delighted to have won this semi-final – an incredible feeling. The players themselves are thrilled to have won a game like that. It was a fantastic fight, a great drama, and with the late goals it had everything. After conceding their second goal, we were strong enough mentally to come back and it was an excellent move that resulted in the third goal. It was hard to take conceding at 2-2, but it was a clear sign of our strength of character that we then produced an excellent attack and a brilliant finish. I think we played very well, and I also think they played very well. Technically they are excellent and there were spells in the match where we struggled. It was difficult, but we were clinical and scored three goals which made the difference, from fewer chances than against Portugal in the quarter-final. We showed a winning mentality. Early on, we gave the ball away easily and lost our rhythm. They kept possession well and we ended up hitting long balls. Second half, we might have benefited from a second striker to help keep the ball up front, but the five midfielders were important as they stopped us from being overrun – because Turkey passed the ball really well through midfield. I coached in Turkey and I know that once they get into the groove in a game or in a competition, they are hard to stop. They have great enthusiasm and are fantastic technically. We were worried, but we were lucky to score in the 90th minute. Congratulations to Turkey for a fantastic show."

Michael Ballack's lung-busting performances for Germany at Euro 2008 can be directly attributed to the Chelsea midfielder's experience of playing in the Premier League, according to national team coach Joachim Löw.

Statistically, Ballack has been one of the players who has covered the most ground in the European Championship, and his displays have been vital in helping Germany set up a semi-final showdown with Turkey in Basle tonight.

Ballack joined Chelsea from Bayern Munich in 2006 and Löwbelieves the midfielder's fitness levels are noticeably better since he switched to England.

'Michael Ballack in the past few matches has really run a great deal and in the last two years he has played in the Premier League in the UK and he's had excellent progress physically - we noticed that when he joined us with the national squad in Germany,' said Löw. 'He was injured for half a year but he worked hard in that period of time, so physically speaking he developed nicely playing in the Premier League because they play fast-paced football at a high-intensity. So at the moment he is in very good physical shape and he is capable of doing long runs in a match and at high speed. This is a development that we have seen in the past few months.'

Captain Ballack may have another tiring night in store against the Turks, a side who have proven themselves virtually impossible to keep down during Euro 2008 so far. Turkey may have lost their opening match 2-0 to Portugal, but since then they have won three successive matches to reach their first European Championship semi-final. It has been the manner of those wins that has been the most impressive thing though, with Fatih Terim's side fighting back from deficits in all three matches before clinching last-gasp victories.

Löw believes that Turkey's never-say-die attitude is something that has been developed over the last few years. 'They have very strong runners and very technical players, and they have come up with great performances and have been highly motivated in the tournament,' Löw said. 'They have always been excellent players and it's always been fun for them to play, but when they've been down they tended to be demoralised, but the have learnt never to give up and in particular to keep on running. Maybe this was not the same 10 years ago.'

German officials reacted furiously to a UEFA decision on Wednesday to ban coach Joachim Löw from the touchline for Thursday's Euro 2008 quarter-final against Portugal.

Löw and Austrian counterpart Josef Hickersberger were sent to the stands just before halftime by referee Manuel Mejuto of Spain in their final Group B match on Monday after they rowed with the fourth official, Damir Skomina of Slovenia.

A UEFA disciplinary committee met on Wednesday and after considering Mejuto's report and statements from the German and Austrian soccer federations decided to ban both for one match. UEFA said Löw would be allowed to follow the match from the stands but would not have access to the dressing room, tunnel or technical area before and during the match and would not be able to contact his team. There is no right of appeal.

German soccer federation (DFB) general secretary Wolfgang Niersbach said in a statement on the federation's web site that he was "very disappointed" and that he was convinced Löw had done nothing wrong.

Germany team manager Oliver Bierhoff slammed UEFA and called the move a "serious setback" for soccer. "As sportsmen we simply cannot fathom the UEFA decision and absolutely can't understand it," he said. "Joachim Löw was sent to the stands against Austria without any warning and the fact he couldn't sit on the bench in the second half was punishment enough," he added. "He did not offend anyone and that is clear from the referee's report."

Löw also expressed disappointment in the DFB statement, but declined further comment beyond saying he had to take the decision into account. He had earlier predicted he would be exonerated by UEFA. "I expect to be vindicated and absolved," he had told reporters on Tuesday. "I haven't offended anyone. I didn't transgress any serious rules."

Mejuta told reporters, however, he was delighted with UEFA'S decision. "It is very important to me that the committee backed my decision because I felt it was the right and only decision to make," he said. "It gives the referees confidence when we are supported in this way especially when everybody is talking about it and there is a lot of pressure."

Löw would not attend the eve-of-match news conference at the stadium in Basel later on Wednesday, the DFB said. His place will be taken by Bierhoff, who will be joined by midfielder Clemens Fritz.

The DFB said UEFA informed them of their decision around 3 p.m. when an official statement arrived and Niersbach received a call from UEFA general secretary David Taylor. As co-hosts Austria are already eliminated from Euro 2008, Hickersberger's ban will apply to the first qualifying match of the 2010 World Cup, UEFA said.

Germany coach Joachim Löw has promised changes after his side's 2-1 loss to Croatia on Thursday and Borussia Monchengladbach striker Oliver Neuville could be the surprise in attack.

However, the suspension of Bastian Schweinsteiger, due to a red card that he earned in stoppage time in the Croatia loss, may complicate Löw's team selection for Monday's all important clash with hosts Austria in Vienna. The Bayern Munich midfielder had looked lively when he came on against the Croatians but an unforgivable rush of blood to the head resulted in the first red card of the tournament and means he can not gain further momentum in what could be Germany's last game of the competition. Defeat to Austria would bring a shock end to Germany's presence at Euro 2008, which is why Löw needs to pick a team which is fully committed to winning on Monday.

'We need 100% concentration from all the players,' said Löw. 'They did not show their true colours against Croatia. You can take it for granted that we will make changes.'

Stuttgart striker Mario Gomez has failed to set the tournament alight as expected and persisting rumours of interest from Barcelona and Bayern Munich appear to be distracting him. Strike partner Miroslav Klose has looked a shadow of his usual self and the hangover from a disappointing personal end to the Bundesliga season appears to have been carried over into the national team. Löw may therefore be pondering switching Podolski, scorer of all three Germany goals so far in the competition, into the attack, but without Schweinsteiger to take his place on the left wing, that option is more complicated. Furthermore, the Bayern striker was unable to even walk on Friday due to an ankle injury and is a major doubt for the final group game.

Neuville, famed for scoring crucial goals such as the one against Poland in the 2006 World Cup, could therefore be the man to bring his experience to the big occasion. He and Kevin Kuranyi have been waiting patiently on the sidelines during the first two games with the Schalke striker getting a handful of minutes against Croatia, but not enough to make an impact. Both could well be given their chance to fire Germany into the last eight.

'We will make some corrections to the team, but will stick to our system, which we have been successful with,' added Löw. 'We are not going out of this tournament yet and we will make the quarter-finals.'

Heiko Westermann damaged ligaments in his right hand in training on Friday and needed a plaster-cast to protect the injury while a bruised calf prevented Philipp Lahm from taking part in the session on Friday. Marcel Jansen was also sidelined with a shoulder injury, but all three should still be available for selection on Monday.

"It goes without saying that we are all a bit disappointed after losing this match, and looking back at the game through the rear-view mirror I think we deserved to lose – as a team we weren't precise enough or fast enough to really trouble Croatia. We were unable to make our combinations or have a fluid game. The Croatians dropped back after the first goal and we were unable to penetrate their defence, which is why we have to accept our defeat. I'm not surprised that they tried to knock my players out of their rhythm, we were expecting this. I told them beforehand that Croatia would probably put an extra man in midfield and that's what they did. I think that, unfortunately, we played straight into their hands by playing a lot of long balls and crosses. Over the last few years we've had a number of defeats – we've not only been winning games. The team have managed to get over these setbacks and I'm confident we will be able to do so again. It is clear that, had we won, we would have been much closer to the quarter-finals but I'm sure we will be able to perform better on Monday against Austria."

Germany coach Joachim Low is viewing today's showdown against Croatia as not only an opportunity for his side to book their spot in the quarter-finals of Euro 2008, but also to continue his own footballing education.

Group D pacesetters Germany and Croatia will put their 100% records on the line when they face off in Klagenfurt, with the chance of all-but securing a place in the last eight for the victorious team.

Guiding Germany through is obviously Low's primary objective, but the 48-year-old is also hoping to use the match as an opportunity to learn from Croatia counterpart Slaven Bilic.

Bilic is nine years younger than Low, but they have been in international management for a similar amount of time having both taken charge of their respective countries in 2006, and Low admits he is keen to learn what he can off all his fellow coaches.

'I can still learn from a number of people and each and every time I meet with colleagues from other teams I try to take something home with me,' said Low, who was able to pick the brain of Leo Beenhakker at the weekend, with the veteran Dutchman in charge of Poland.

'I believe that the discussions and talks that I have been able to have with coaches like Slaven Bilic have been very important for me.'

Low, who was assistant coach to Jurgen Klinsmann during the 2006 World Cup before stepping into the hotseat, admits he is impressed with the job Bilic has done since taking the reins of Croatia.

Croatia finished top of their qualifying group for Euro 2008, beating England home and away in the process, and Low said: 'He (Bilic) has proved, as a very young national coach, that he has taken his team in the right direction.

'They played very well in qualifying, with very strong results including wins against England, and that means that not only does he have a strong team but he is also a strong coach.'

Low also spoke highly of the Croatian players, a number of whom will be familiar faces to those who follow German domestic football.

'Croatia are a team who have a number of players playing in the German Bundesliga, players who have played together before or who play together at present,' Low said.

'The Croats are a very experienced team with a very strong defence. They also have (Mladen) Petric, (Ivica) Olic, (Luka) Modric...attacking players who can tip the scales in their favour.'

Croatia captain Niko Kovac is not one of the members of Bilic's party who currently ply their trade in the Bundesliga, but the 36-year-old midfielder is one of three players in the Croatia squad who were born in Germany.

The Salzburg player said: 'For the players who play in the German league, this will be a special match. I said earlier that once the players return to their clubs they will want to look back at a positive result, because you know how football players are.

'That's an additional motivation, apart from the three points.'

He added: 'A match against Germany is certainly a matter of prestige, Germany have been world champions three times and they are always at the top in football, but we also want to be there and we will give our best and we will fight.

'I'm sure the Germans will approach the game in the same fashion because we are not here to play cards and be friends with each other, we will fight each other for the victory.'

Just as most fans across Europe, Joachim Löw was deeply impressed by the Dutch defeating World Champions Italy 3-0 Tuesday night. However, the German coach is not ready to predict them as the winners of the tournamnet just yet, despite their brilliant performance.

“Beware of over-emphasising one single game”, says Löw. “Portugal played a good game, we did decently and the Dutch team showed up very strong. But we all just played our first game. As expected, the performance level at this Euro is high, some teams have displayed an ability to attack with an insane speed. But I would not call the Netherlands the measuring rod of this tournament yet.”

Löw is not too interested in the Netherlands anyway. Two days prior to Germany’s next group game, Löw and his coaching staff are very much focused on Croatia. The team coached by former Bundesliga player Slaven Bilic eliminated England during the qualfiying round and defeated host-country Austria in their Euro opener. They are a force to reckon with. Many experts see them as the darkhorse in the 2008 tournament. Thursday night’s game in Klagenfurt features a clash of two winning sides - with Germany beating Poland and Croatia defeating Austria in their opening games.

“Croatia are great tacticians while they also have great individuals who can beat you one-on-one. They know how to control the pace of a game”, says Löw.

Monday was a day of rest and relaxation following the important first win. Now, the Mannschaft has started their preparations for the game against Croatia, 15th in FIFA’s World ranking. A charter will carry the team from Lugano to Klagenfurt Wednesday afternoon. Löw has scheduled a final practice session inside Wörthersee Stadium, the site of Thursday’s game. As usual, Löw will not reveal the line-up until just before kickoff.

While unwilling to discuss the chances of individual players, Löw praised the health status of the team. All 23 players could potentially play against Croatia. And the German coach likes team chemistry as well. “We have leaders such as Ballack, Frings, Metzelder, Lehmann and Klose on the team. But our role-players, the guys on the bench, contribute just as well. When I saw them following the Poland game, going to the fans as one team, I really thought they handled that well. Competition during practices is still fierce. Our substitutes are constantly challenging the starters.”

Corner-kicks and free-kicks will be covered in the upcoming practice sessions. Löw stressed: “Statistically, the chances for a goal are higher following a free-kick near the sideline than following a corner-kick.”

Germany has won five out of seven games against Croatia so far. If Löw nominates Lukas Podolski, on Sunday a two-time scorer, for the game against Croatia, he would obtain his 50th cap for Germany.

"Conditions here have been excellent. I am satisfied with our preparations for the tournament", said Germany's coach Joachim Löw just prior to his team's first appearance at Euro 2008, a Group B match against Poland. The team has stayed at Ascona in Switzerland since June 2, following a ten-day camp at Mallorca. On Saturday, a charter will carry Löw and his squad to the smallest Austrian host city Klagenfurt, where they are scheduled to meet Poland on Sunday.

"Everybody feels reliefed that the tournament is about to begin, but we face a severe challenge", said Löw. "There is no warm-up lap at a European Championship. We expect a very tough game against Poland", said Löw. His assistant Hans-Dieter Flick pointed out, that the Polish team, coached by Leo Beenhakker, has many Dutch attributes: "They are a physical and disciplined team."

With the exception of Tim Borowski, who is weakened by the flu, every player on the 23-player roster reported healthy for Sunday's game. "Miroslav Klose has made great strides these last few days. The same can be said about Christoph Metzelder and Mario Gomez", said Löw, who praised Poland's team: "They mastered the qualifying round with ease, and they have matured visibly due to the coaching of Leo Beenhakker. It will be a great game on Sunday."

"We have a solid team and we have known each other for a while", said Michael Ballack. The 31-year old captain is determined to end a long run of mediocrity at Euro. The team has not won a game at the European Championship since the final in 1996. On the other hand, in 15 games Poland has yet to register a win against Germany.

Jürgen Klinsmann, who coached Germany at the 2006 World Cup, sent staff and players a text message with his best wishes.

Although German veteran striker Miroslav Klose had a relatively mediocre season at Bayern Munich, German coach Joachim Löw has expressed his firm belief that Klose is once again in top form.

'I've never seen him looking so fit, so agile and so strong,' Löw said at a press conference on Thursday, three days before Germany's Group B opener in Klagenfurt.

Klose, the winner of the Golden Boot Award in 2006, scored in Germany's recent 2-2 draw against Belarus, and has been regaining momentum and improving in performance. Löw heaped praise on Klose, declaring that he was in top physical form and "back to his old dynamic self".

While Klose will soon be turning 30 - the day after the Germany-Poland match, to be exact - his stellar record of 39 goals in 75 games promises that he is still one to watch.

Coach Joachim Löw has confirmed his final 23-man squad for EURO 2008 with midfielders Markus Marin and Jermaine Jones and striker Patrick Helmes missing the cut.

The three players came on during the 2nd half of the friendly against Belarus on Tuesday, but failed to impress sufficiently to make the final cut for the team. The team had let slip a 2-goal advantage during the 2nd half of the game to tie 2-2 with Belarus.

The FC Schalke 04 midfielder Jones, the 19-year-old Marin – an attacking midfielder with VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach – and Helmes, who scored 17 goals in 1. FC Köln's promotion-winning campaign, were told of the decision at 11.30 this morning and will leave the training camp later today.

“This was a very tough decision for our entire coaching staff. Each of the three players would have deserved a slot on the team.”, said Löw.

Patrick Helmes said following the decision: "Obviously I'm disappointed - it would have been great to compete at the EURO. Hopefully, I'll get another shot following this summer. Naturally, I keep my fingers crossed that the team does well at the EURO."

Jermaine Jones said: "Playing at the EURO had been my major goal. But I gave it my best shot, so I have no reason to hang my head low. Hopefully, the team does well. It would be great, if we could win the title."

Marko Marin, the youngest member of the 26-player roster, said: "Making this first step has been a great experience. I'm still young and I hope to get another chance in the future."

Germany coach Joachim Löw has told Kevin Kuranyi he has no need to worry about his place in the squad for Euro 2008 after the striker returned to form with four goals in one game for Schalke 04 this week.

'If nothing unforeseen happens, Kevin will be at Euro 2008,' Löw said in an interview with the Koelner Express newspaper on Thursday.

'He did go through a weaker phase but over the last few years he's been convincing for us and always scored goals. He's a valuable player.'

The 26-year-old striker's four goals in the 5-0 win over Energie Cottbus on Tuesday were a timely reminder of his worth.

Kuranyi missed the 2006 World Cup after losing form just before the tournament and there had been speculation in the media that history might repeat itself.

Germany are in Group B at Euro 2008 with co-hosts Austria, Croatia and Poland.

Germany coach Joachim Löw picked out 21-year-old Lukas Podolski for special praise after the striker scored twice in Germany's 4-1 thrashing of Slovakia on Wednesday. The victory extended Loew's unbeaten streak to five matches since he took over from Juergen Klinsmann after the World Cup, and put Germany in a strong position in their Euro 2008 qualifying Group D where they sit second behind the Czech Republic, with one game in hand.

Podolski's brace in Bratislava took his international tally to 22 in 37 matches and silenced the critics who had lambasted him for an uneccesary red card in a friendly against Georgia on Saturday. 'Lukas is a jewel,' Löw remarked. 'It's enormous what he has accomplished so far at the age of 21. It's the responsibility of all of us in the team to take care of him.'

Podolski was criticised by his Bayern Munich coach Felix Magath last week for 'smiling too much' when he sits on the bench and Germany captain Michael Ballack also said in a newspaper interview that Podolski needed to keep working to improve and should not become complacent. 'I'm not having any crisis, I'm not worried about anything,' Podolski said after the Slovakia victory. 'Every day's a dream for me. I enjoy life and I enjoy football. What others say doesn't mean a damn thing.'

Ballack praised Podolski's performance against Slovakia: 'A good player delivers answers to his critics on the pitch. He didn't let anyone disturb him and kept his cool. But he must keep it up.'

Germany, who finished third at the World Cup, are having their best run in years with only one loss - to Italy in the semi-final - in the last 16 matches they played. Löw said he was extremely happy with the way his side is performing. 'We took a big step forward with the victory in Slovakia,' Löw said. 'It was important to beat a team in our group that will probably play an important role in which teams ultimate qualify for the European finals. Our performance in the first half was very, very good. The defence and midfield were excellent, winning balls back from Slovakia and quickly playing them forward.'

Germany face Cyprus in their next Euro 2008 qualifying match on November 15 in Nicosia.