New Chelsea coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has heaped praise on one of the players he is set to inherit at Stamford Bridge as his Portugal side get ready to face off against Germany in Wednesday evening’s Euro 2008 quarter-final.
With his mind not yet fully focused on Chelsea affairs for obvious reasons, Scolari has highlighted his admiration for Michael Ballack, pin-pointing the German midfielder as a key man for club and country.
"Ballack is an important player, a great player," said the Brazilian, who will hope the Chelsea man does not ensure that Thursday’s game is his last as Portugal coach.
"He has a lot of technical qualities and is one of the great players in the tournament. Maybe he has hit peak form over the last two years.
"We have deep respect for Germany's qualities but we will play our game and try to beat them.
"Ballack is an excellent player, one of the athletes who has been a highlight of the tournament so far along with four or five others.
"He deserves special attention, but we can't concern ourselves only with Ballack. One of the best wing-backs in the tournament is [Philipp] Lahm. I have to worry about the whole German team.
"Germany are growing. They had not such a good game in their second match [a 2-1 loss to Croatia] but improved in the third and are in good condition to face us."
With all that in mind, Scolari will be far from surprised if German injury doubts Lukas Podolski [calf] and Torsten Frings [rib] take to the field tomorrow.
"I believe those in charge of the Germany team, especially the medical team, will be doing their utmost to get the players ready as this game will be decisive," he said.
"With all those medical efforts they may end up on the pitch. I don't know if it's a bluff [Podolski's injury], I don't think so.
"As regards the midfielder [Frings] I talked to [Portugal's Stuttgart defender] Fernando Meira, who says if he doesn't play then another will play who he knows very well – possibly Thomas Hitzlsperger - and in his opinion is better than the one who can't play.
"Everybody is good in the Germany squad so nobody will be missed."
Meanwhile, Scoalri admits that he will revert to his first-choice side for the game after resting eight of them in Sunday’s final group game with Switzerland.
"In principle, it's the same team,” he said before lauding star man Cristiano Ronaldo, whose winning mentality he says has been influential in his squad.
"He's a simple, humble person," said Scolari of the 23-year-old.
"He works as part of a group and is a good member of the group.
"He is dedicated to the group and has a strong will to win which I haven't seen in anybody else. That means the others soak in that will to win, and obviously lot of technical quality." |
發表於 2008-6-19 04:15 AM
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