Michael Ballack, a towering figure in German football for the past decade, is no longer part of the national squad after 98 appearances for his country.

The national football federation (DFB) made the announcement on Thursday, ending months of speculation over the midfielder’s playing future on the world stage.

“I have discussed things openly with Michael Ballack, most recently in our meeting at the end of March 2011 and in numerous phone calls since then,” coach Joachim Löw said.

“With the Euro 2012 season about to start the time has come for me to make a clear statement.”…

Coach Joachim Löw has named Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Marco Reus as the only rookie in the German national squad for three upcoming international matches.

Germany face Uruguay in a friendly match in Hoffenheim at the end of the month before travelling to Vienna to face Austria and to Baku to play Azerbaijan in Euro 2012 qualifiers in the first week of June.

Reus is one of 23 players in Löw’s squad and the list also includes Simon Rolfes, returning after a long injury absence. However, there is still no sign of former team captain Michael Ballack.…

Coach Joachim Löw has angered the boss of the Bundesliga after criticising the standard of the German league.

Löw has admitted he is not impressed that Schalke 04 are the only German league side to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League this season and said: “that doesn’t say much for the Bundesliga”.…

Germany coach Joachim Löw said the fans were wrong to boo his side and individual players during the 4-0 win over Kazakhstan.

After opening up a 3-0 lead by half-time, the fans inside Kaiserslautern’s Fritz-Walter Stadion clearly expected more of the same, but they had to wait until the 88th minute before seeing another goal, by which time they had vented their frustration.

However, Löw has defended his team, saying they have more than lived up to the expectations.…

It now looks like Bayern Munich will have to look elsewhere for a new coach.

The German Football Federation (DFB) on Tuesday confirmed that national soccer coach Joachim Löw has extended his contract for another two years, until the end of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.…

According to Bild, coach Joachim Löw is a top candidate to replace Louis van Gaal as head coach at reigning Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.

Bayern revealed on Monday that van Gaal will leave Bayern at the end of the season, despite having a contract until the summer of 2012, and Löw is considered to be the perfect replacement.

However, Löw has a contract with the German Football Association (DFB) until after Euro 2012 and the DFB refuses to let go of their head coach before the tournament.…

National team coach Joachim Löw and his three right-hand men have agreed two-year extensions to their contracts following the team’s World Cup success, press reports said Tuesday.

Löw was due to sign a new deal with the German Football Federation (DFB) later on Tuesday ahead of a news conference, the Sueddeutsche Zeitung and Bild dailies reported.…

Löw claimed on Monday he was not superstitious but admitted that pressure from other coaching staff and players to keep wearing his familiar sweater had paid off ahead of their World Cup clash with Spain in Durban on Wednesday.

“The thing with the sweater is that I am not driven by superstition,” a smiling Löw told reporters. “The other coaching staff said I should be wearing the sweater now because every time I wear it we score four goals.”

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