Low impressed by Ballack leadership

Germany coach Joachim Low feels Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack is maturing as a captain and has praised him for his attitude in last month's friendly defeat against Norway.

Low and Ballack hardly saw eye to eye towards the end of 2008 when the former Bayern Munich star's international career hung in the balance after he criticised the coach for showing a lack of respect to the older members of the squad.

However, a clear-the-air meeting in October resolved their differences and Low reckons Ballack is now more important than ever.

"You got the feeling in our last game that Ballack communicated more with the players," Low told this week's Stern magazine. "That is good."
Ballack's national team colleagues also noticed a difference in the 32-year-old.

"He took the initiative more with players and he did not do that all that often in the past," said Bayern Munich full-back Philipp Lahm.

"That is what you expect from a captain."

Germany face Liechtenstein in Leipzig on March 28 and then travel to Cardiff to take on Wales four days later.