Germans insist no Boateng vendetta

Germany general manager Oliver Bierhoff was adamant his side wouldn't target Ghana forward Kevin-Prince Boateng in the final Group D clash on Wednesday night.

Boateng became public enemy No.1 in Germany after his vicious tackle on Michael Ballack in last month's FA Cup final ruled the German captain and Chelsea midfielder out of what probably would have been his last World Cup finals.

The incident between the pair, with Boateng playing for Portsmouth at the time, was the latest instalment in a run of aggressive incidents between the two players that goes back to the pair both playing in the Bundesliga.

But despite widespread anger towards him, Bierhoff insists the German players won't go out to seek their own brand of justice on Wednesday night.

"I do not think it would be right for us to use our emotions or feelings and channel them against a single person," Bierhoff told Sky Sports.

"Quite irrespective of who is on the pitch for Ghana, we have to concentrate on the game and avoid being provoked, because we will not be playing against Kevin-Prince Boateng, but against Ghana."


Despite hammering Australia 4-0 in the Group D opener, Serbia's 1-0 win over Germany last Friday appears to have rocked the confidence in the Germany camp as newspaper Bild revealed the Germans have booked a flight home from South Africa for Thursday night, should they bow out of the tournament.

According to the newspaper, the knives are already being sharpened for coach Joachim Loew, who took over from 2006 coach Jurgen Klinsmann at the end of that tournament.

Bierhoff and Loew are apparently on one side of a power struggle within German football against German FA (DFB) technical director Matthias Sammer and president Theo Zwanziger that has become increasingly bitter since a nasty pay dispute involving Bierhoff last year.

But despite the political posturing and losing striker Miroslav Klose to suspension following his dismissal against Serbia, Loew is adamant Germany will come away with the win, ensuring its qualification to next round.

"I don't think such a defeat will send us into headless-chicken mode," he told The Local.

"We can take some confidence. We played with our heads up, there is a mood of defiance in the air and everyone is sure we can reach the last 16."

"Germany has the will-power, the skills and the belief to put a defeat like this behind us, there is no resignation in the camp or self-doubt," he said.