Following remarks from Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson that Chelsea is too old a team this season to win any silverware, midfielder Michael Ballack has hit back pointing the example of last season when Claude Makelele, 34 set the stage on fire with Chelsea.
Mekalele is no longer with Chelsea, but Ballack believes that the performance by the midfielder was exactly the counter to the allegations by Ferguson.
German Captain has recently joined the rest of the club squad for a match later today with Chinese Super League side Chengdu Blades at Macau.
Coach Scolari has confirmed that the German playmaker will not participate in today’s match, or Tuesday’s one against a weak Malaysian select XI in Kuala Lumpur. However, he has said that Ballack can get a chance during the Railway Cup at Moscow in the start of August.
Ballack’s late joining to the squad made him come back to the team sans Steve Sidwell, who has left for Aston Villa and Claude Makelele, who has been sold to Paris St Germain. A new and top quality addition to Stamford Bridge this season is Portugese attacking midfielder Deco, who has impressed one and all at the club.
Talking of the transfer fiasco involving Frank Lampard, Chelsea and Inter Milan, Ballack said that he would be more than happy, if Lampard stays at Stamford Bridge, and that all the squad members support him.
In the end, Ballack said that he feels that the squad is better, and they will progress a lot with new coach Scolari.
