Germany coach Joachim Löw concedes the process which led to the end of Michael Ballack’s international career should have been handled better.

Ballack was expected to lead his country at last year’s World Cup finals but suffered an injury in Chelsea’s FA Cup final clash with Portsmouth which ruled him out of the tournament.

The resulting success of a young German team in South Africa prompted Löw to announce in June that he would not be selecting Ballack again as it went against his new focus on youth development. The midfielder, who turned 35 in September, lashed out at Löw for treating him disrespectfully and even turned down the offer of a testimonial match for Germany.

Ex-Germany captain Michael Ballack led Bayer Leverkusen to their first win of the season on Sunday as Czech midfielder Michal Kadlec’s late goal sealed a 1-0 win at home to Werder Bremen.

Last season’s German league runners-up have had a torrid time of late, throwing away a 3-0 lead at second division Dynamo Dresden two weeks ago in the German Cup to suffer a 4-3 defeat.

They were then beaten 2-0 at Mainz last weekend in the opening weekend of the Bundesliga season.

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 said on Sunday he is impressed with the recent form of former captain Michael Ballack as the 34-year-old looks to return to international football.

Ballack made the last of his 98 appearances for Germany in the pre-World Cup friendly with Argentina in March 2010 before suffering back-to-back injuries.

Having damaged his ankle playing for Chelsea in last May’s FA Cup final, which kept him out of the 2010 World Cup, Ballack then fractured a leg in September after returning to play in Germany for Bayer Leverkusen. He returned to action in January, but Löw has repeatedly said the battling midfielder will need to win back his place in the national side.

Germany captain Michael Ballack has said he will fight to win back his place in the national side, despite being left out of the squads for the last two Euro 2012 qualifiers and picking up a new injury on Saturday.

The 33-year-old missed the World Cup with an ankle injury and sat out this month’s Group A wins over Belgium and Azerbaijan as he recovers his fitness.

The midfielder injured his knee in Leverkusen’s 2-2 draw at Hannover on Saturday, and on Sunday it was announced that he had actually fractured his left knee cap.

Joachim Löw, coach of Germany’s national football team, confirmed Wednesday that veteran midfielder Michael Ballack will remain his first-choice captain despite being left out of their opening Euro 2012 qualifying games.

Ballack, 33, has been dropped for the first two games against Belgium in Brussels on Friday and Azerbaijan at home four days later as he continues his recovery from the ankle injury that kept him out of the World Cup.

The 33-year-old – who was ruled out of the World Cup after suffering an ankle injury in Chelsea’s 1-0 FA Cup final win over Portsmouth – admitted avenging the Euro 2008 final defeat by Spain in their World Cup semi-final in Durban would be difficult, but his compatriots could do it.

“It will be difficult to beat Spain tonight, but this is our time,” Ballack told The Times.

“Germany have been the best team in the World Cup and just have to keep it going. Spain deserved to win the European Championship final against us two years ago, but with the confidence we’ve gained from our past two performances, I think it’s our moment.”

A row over the captaincy of the German national team threatens to torpedo the harmony within the side as the three-time champion takes on Spain in the semifinals of the World Cup Wednesday.

Injured captain Michael Ballack showed up in South Africa in what seemed like a show of support for his troops. But current captain Philipp Lahm caused a major controversy by saying he would not willingly hand the captain’s armband back to Ballack.