Coach Dutt: Ballack issue no burden for Bayer

Feb 14, 2012, 8:46 GMT

leverkusen, Germany - The controversy around former Germany captain Michael Ballack is not a burden for Bayer Leverkusen, coach Robin Dutt said.

Dutt told dpa ahead of Leverkusen's Champions League date later Tuesday with holders Barcelona that young players may be affected by the ongoing saga, but that the team as a whole has not reacted in a negative way despite a below-par season.

Ballack, 35, returned to Leverkusen in 2010 on a two-year contract which will most likely not be renewed. He has been bogged down by injuries (currently sidelined for four weeks), benched by Dutt on several occasions, and managing director Wolfgang Holzhaeuser recently declared the 'project Ballack' a failure.

Not everyone at the club agreed with the tone of Holzhaeuser's assessment, and while sports director Rudi Voeller was not fully supportive of Holzhaeuser he also said that Ballack should stop sulking.

Dutt, 46, himself is not undisputed as Leverkusen rank sixth, good enough for the Europa League but far away from the Champions League berths, but the coach refuses to blame the Ballack issue for it.

'It is not a burde for the team, at least it doesn't present itself in such a way. It is an issue which accompanies us on an emotional level and affects the inexperienced players more than the others,' Dutt told dpa.

Dutt said he had full faith in Holzhaeuser and Voeller and that the team will simply have to live with the issue.

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