Ballack is staying at Leverkusen, insists Voeller

Posted Tuesday, August 23, 2011 by YAHOO Sport

Ex-Germany captain Michael Ballack will not be sold by Bayer Leverkusen, the German league club's director of sport Rudi Voeller insisted Monday.

"This is all speculation, there is no truth in it at all," said Voeller at a reception in Aachen on Monday after reports in the German media that Ballack is set to be sold with the transfer window due to close at the end of August.

Ballack, 34, has played in just one of Leverkusen's three league games so far this season and coach Robin Dutt has said he will not play the ex-Chelsea star alongside captain Simon Rolfes in their three-man midfield.

Dutt has said he has no problem with the veteran midfielder who is under contract until June 2012.

Rolfes captained Leverkusen to a 1-0 win at VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga on Saturday with Ballack spending the entire game on the bench having played the week before against Bremen.

Ballack won the last of his 98 caps for Germany in March 2010 when he led the hosts in a 1-0 defeat to Argentina in Munich, but has since lost the captaincy to Bayern Munich defender Philipp Lahm.

An ankle injury during the FA Cup final in May 2010 ruled him out of last year's World Cup and after his Chelsea contract was not extended, he signed for Leverkusen a year ago, but injured his leg after just three Bundesliga games.

Germany coach Joachim Loew has said Ballack is surplus to requirements and the 34-year-old turned down the chance to join the Germany squad as an honourary member for the 3-2 friendly win over Brazil in Stuttgart on August 10.