Michael Ballack Is Germany's Secret Weapon

Former Chelsea star Michael Ballack has been rumbled as a double-agent.

Ballack, 33, who has joined Bayer Leverkusen after being shown the Stamford Bridge door, has been helping the Germans compile dossiers on England.

German boss Joachim Low revealed Ballack could be his secret weapon for Sunday’s World Cup last-16 clash.

Ballack has been giving the in-side track on former team-mates, John Terry, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole.

Low said: “I have talked to Michael many times about the Premier League and we had a good chat two or three months ago about individual players such as Lampard.

“He knows a lot about these players and we have comprehensive information at our disposal.”

Low stayed in the training camp studying videos while his young side visited a lion park yesterday morning.

“I’m happy to report that none of my players got eaten! There is no fear in anyone’s eyes,” he said.

“There is a tension, yes, but it is healthy stage fright. We won’t go into the game hiding our heads in the sand.

“We are young, but are we nice? I don’t think that comes into it. You should see them in training.”

Skipper Philipp Lahm laughed off suggestions Fabio Capello’s Three Lions were lying in wait.

He said: “Yes, we saw lions but it was more of a petting zoo so we had some young cubs in our arms.

“On Sunday the treatment we give to the lions we face will be more aggressive than this morning.”

Low says his men must listen to all the info passed on to them or risk being ripped apart.

“Give Wayne Rooney and Lampard lots of space and they can be unstoppable. England have a fantastic fighting spirit and burning ambition.

“The axis of their team – Terry, Steven Gerrard, Lampard and Rooney is just amazing.

“But there is no fear, maybe a few nerves. There are many chapters in the book of Anglo- German encounters and this is the latest.

“They are usually full of sparks. The English have a never-say-die attitude. They are known for their fight and commitment.”

Low said he had ignored rumours of unrest in the opposition camp.

“England are strong mentally and have great experience,” he said.

“It is not the end of the world if they sit together and ask what they can change.”

Defoe Hails Ashley Cole

Jermain Defoe has hailed Ashley Cole as "the best left-back in the world" ahead of England's World Cup clash with Germany in Bloemfontein on Sunday.

Chelsea defender Cole has attracted unwanted headlines off the pitch regarding events in his private life and seldom gives interviews these days.

But Tottenham striker Defoe has no doubts about the footballing qualities of the 29-year-old, who made his England debut nearly a decade ago in a World Cup qualifier in Albania.

Cole returned from injury towards the end of the domestic season to help Chelsea clinch a Barclays Premier League and FA Cup double.

He then clocked up his 81st England cap in the 1-0 win over Slovenia on Wednesday.

That set up a last-16 meeting with Germany, with Cole one of the survivors from the side which defeated England's old rivals 5-1 in Munich nine years ago.

Defoe, who scored England's winner against the Slovenians, said: "Ashley is brilliant. For me, he is the best left-back in the world. I was saying that to someone, I think it was Shaun (Wright-Phillips).

"It is different when you are playing to looking in from the outside. You can appreciate how good someone is.

"With the movement, sometimes Stevie G (Gerrard) will come inside and Ashley will overlap. We work on that in training.

"When Ashley gets into the final third of the pitch, he is really relaxed and can pass it.

"He is still talking about the three goals he scored last season for Chelsea."

Defoe added: "His energy is unbelievable - what an athlete. He is the best and he has been like that for years.

"To have that consistency at the top level for so long is special."

Blues On Parade Around The World

Supporters clubs on either side of the globe took part in their own Double-winning bus parades at the end of our successful 2009/10 season.

Not to be outdone by the parade in SW6, fans in both New York and Hong Kong organised their own open-top buses to take an array of supporters along their local streets.

Anson Mui was the man behind Hong Kong Island's parade, made all the more special by the fact the region is populated heavily by Manchester United fans, while Mike Neat arranged New York's parade.

'We wanted to be loud and proud,' said Neat, 'and we wanted an audience which meant heading to a couple of tourist-infested areas of Manhattan.

'We received many bemused looks and smiles along with a few shouts from fellow fans and fans of other teams. One fan on the street actually began a "Super Frank" chant for us on the bus. Naturally, quite a few people on the street turned their cameras on us,' added Neat, who also helped raise $1,000 for charity during the event.

Both cities boast a healthy Chelsea following as the Blues have infiltrated the west and east, with over 500 fans involved in the Official Chelsea Supporters' Club Hong Kong.

Held on 30 May, the parade in Hong Kong took three hours to complete as fans sang Chelsea songs and held a quiz to give away merchandise sponsored by the club's Megastore.

'People on the street smiled and waved, although some were confused by what was going on,' explained Mui.

'And although it was raining, it was great fun. Everyone really enjoyed themselves and we were proud of being Chelsea fans. It was great for us all to get together and sing some Chelsea songs.'

The Blues have supporters' club branches all over the world but are consistently striving to find more.

Chelsea Link Up With Arizona Club

Chelsea Academy coaches will be heading to America this summer to bring top-level coaching to elite young players in Arizona.

In partnership with the Sereno Soccer Club, we will host an elite soccer camp for boys and girls ages eight to 16.

The camps, to be held July 11-16 at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, will provide players with access to similar drills and practices our coaches at Cobham use to train our own Academy talent, offering a unique opportunity to develop technical skills.

Chelsea's head of international youth football development Jeff Bookman said: 'America has terrific young talent and Chelsea are dedicated to supporting youth soccer development in the States by bringing our esteemed staff of coaches and personnel to host camps, clinics and training programs.

'The Arizona soccer camp will highlight the same coaching philosophy we use for all levels of our club.'

The camp is part of Chelsea's ongoing commitment to the development of football in America. Since 2008, we have partnered with top clubs in America to establish the Chelsea US youth club network to share the Chelsea coaching philosophy, host training camps, sponsor tournaments and implement player and coaching exchange programs.

Sereno SC, which is part of the Chelsea US youth club network, is one of the leading soccer education and training organizations in the United States and is perennially ranked the number one youth soccer club in Arizona.

Over the past 30 years, the club has produced 46 Arizona State champion boys teams, 80 Arizona State champion girls teams, nine regional champions, three national finalists and one national champion.

Spurs Boss Harry Redknapp Wants To Sign Joe Cole

Harry Redknapp has admitted for the first time he is trying to sign Joe Cole.

But the Spurs boss faces a battle with North London rivals Arsenal to secure the signature of the Chelsea and England midfielder.

Redknapp said: "We've declared our interest in Joe to his agent but that is as far as it has gone.

"We are told Joe doesn't want to talk to anyone about any move until after the World Cup is over."

Cole, 28, is available on a free transfer after refusing new terms at Stamford Bridge and Redknapp is keen to work with him for a second time.

Cole was given his first-team break at West Ham when Redknapp bossed the Hammers, before moving to Chelsea for £6.5million seven years ago.

The England star was demanding a wage rise of around £30,000 on top of his £80,000-a-week salary to bring him in line with Chelsea's top earners but the Blues refused.

Arsenal have a strict wage policy but can get around it by offering Camden-born Cole a big signing-on fee as he will cost nothing.

Nicolas Anelka Aiming For More Titles After Signing New Deal

After signing a new contract extension at Stamford Bridge on Thursday, Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka is now aiming to take more silverware to west London next season.

The French forward, who was a key player for Carlo Ancelotti's double-winners last season, has scored 42 goals in 123 games for the Blues and has proved himself a formidable partner to Didier Drogba in the Chelsea frontline.

"I aim to score goals and win more titles," Anelka told Chelsea's official website.

"This is the most important thing for everybody, and to enjoy my football and give pleasure to the fans because they come to the games, they want to see good football, they want to see goals, they want to see wins, so this is what I will try to do and we will try to do as a team.

"We start in the league at home to West Brom, and it is nice to start at home - there will be a lot of fans there like always, it will not be an easy game against this kind of team who are newly promoted, but we have a big team and we will do our job."

Anelka also praised Carlo Ancelotti, the club's manager, believing that the Italian was a reason for his own good form last season, which saw him score 15 goals and create many more for his team-mates.

"He won a lot of things in Italy, and you know when you speak with someone like him, he understands what you want and you understand what he wants," continued Anelka.

"It is simple to work with him, easy.

"I know he tried to sign with me for Juventus, but I signed in Real Madrid, but now I am very glad to be here with him, he is a good person, a very good manager and I am glad to be here with him."

Chelsea Set To Snatch Real Madrid Youngster Alipio

Chelsea are set to re-ignite their interest in Real Madrid youngster Alipio after he was made a potential makeweight in Angel Di Maria's Benfica move, according to Marca.

The Brazilian youth international has been a long-term target for the Blues and they came close to landing him before he moved to the Spanish capital a year ago.

Despite being only 17, he is already a star performer in the club's Castilla side and had been earmarked for a future role in the first team.

A return to Portugal was on the cards for the ex-Rio Ave forward to ease Di Maria's £22 million move to the Santiago Bernabeu.

Carlo Ancelotti will now reportedly attempt to derail this move with a bid of his own.

Tottenham And Chelsea Battle For Barcelona Dealmaker Begiristain

According to Spanish daily 'Sport', Chelsea and Tottenham are the leading candidates to secure the services of Barcelona technical secretary Txiki Begiristain.

The 45-year-old is a former Barcelona player and Spanish international. He was brought into the Nou Camp as technical secretary in 2003 in order to end a barren four seasons without a trophy and has since helped bring incredible success for the Catalans. Begiristain has overseen the transfers of influential stars such as Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o during his time at the Nou Camp.

However, Barcelona president Joan Laporta's reign will end at the end of the month and it is thought that his close ally Begiristain will also use the opportunity to move on. 'Sport' suggests that Tottenham, Chelsea and Rangers are all interested in securing his services, but that Begiristain is most interested in a move to England.

Chelsea would clearly offer Begiristain the greatest financial incentive and could provide him with the largest budget to work with. Although Begiristain has previously been linked with Tottenham, it remains to be seen whether Harry Redknapp would be willing to share responsibility on matters such as player recruitment.

John Terry's A Top Block, Says Joe Cole

Joe Cole has hailed John Terry as the best defender in the world and described him as the “heartbeat” of the England team.

Terry landed himself in hot water with manager Fabio Capello for calling on the players to challenge him on issues such as bringing Cole into the team. Cole was finally used as a late substitute in the victory over Slovenia, in which Terry bounced back from his problems with a superb performance.

“You can’t knock JT,” said Cole. “He is the best centre-half in the world and some of the blocks and the tackles against Slovenia were brilliant. He is the heartbeat of the side and an exceptional player. We’ve got so many good leaders in the team and it was a great performance from him.”

And despite being limited to a bit-part role so far, Cole has vowed to give everything to England’s cause, whether he is playing 90 minutes or nine. “The main thing is the squad game,” said Cole. “If I get one minute, I’ll fight for that one minute.”

Ballack Returns To Leverkusen On Two-year Deal

Michael Ballack has joined Bayer Leverkusen on a two-year contract. The 33-year-old, who is missing the World Cup through an injury picked up in the FA Cup final victory, was released by Chelsea at the end of last season.

The midfielder is returning to the Bundesliga and his old side, with whom he reached the Champions League final in 2002

"With my transfer to Bayer Leverkusen a circle is complete. I had a beautiful and successful time here, on which I like to look back on a lot," Ballack told the club's website.

"That was a factor in my decision." Ballack added: "But above all the good sporting potential of this young and attractive team were persuasive.

"I am especially looking forward to the great fans, who naturally have been key in my decision to return to Bayer."

Ballack, who spent three years with Bayer before leaving for Bayern Munich in 2002 and then moving on to Chelsea in 2006, will reportedly earn around €12 million over a two-year stay at Bayer.

Steve McClaren's Wolfsburg were also believed to have been interested in him, but Ballack has opted for a return to his old club.

Bayer sporting director is delighted to have signed a player of Ballack's experience, and believes he will help the development of the club's crop of young players.

"With Michael Ballack our team is getting an enormous boost in quality," he said. "Especially our many young players will benefit from his abilities and his experience.

"We did everything to convince Michael. That his preference was for Bayer despite our limited financial possibilities in comparison to the competition shows his emotional attachment to the club."

Salomon Kalou Admits Disappointment At Ivory Coast's Performances

Chelsea attacker Salomon Kalou has admitted pressure at World Cup 2010 has been to blame for Ivory Coast's poor tournament.

Sven-Goran Eriksson's side look set to crash out of Group G unless they can turn around a nine-goal disadvantage to Portugal in Friday’s fixtures.

The Elephants were hotly-tipped before the tournament, but a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Brazil has condemned them to an early flight home and they will need a miracle against North Korea.

Speaking to reporters, Kalou blamed high expectations as the cause for the squad's flop.

"Expectations were huge and we owed it to ourselves to perform well. But the pressure has caused us more stress than anything and even inhibited our talents," Kalou said.

"All of us have put lots of pressure on ourselves because this World Cup is being played on our continent.

"There have been a few players who haven't been up to the standard required. Their abilities have been crushed by the pressure they've put on their own shoulders."

My Favourite Games: Scott Sinclair

He may have spent the season away from Stamford Bridge but that did not stop Scott Sinclair sharing his memories of his two favourite matches, one in which he played, and the other which he watched.

Favourite game played:

This may seem an unlikely choice for many but add to the fixture the fact it's your Premier League debut for Chelsea and all will make sense.

Sinclair's favourite game to ever play in was exactly that, when he first donned the senior team's shirt in the Barclays Premier League against Arsenal in May 2007, when a draw saw the Blues relinquish the title to Manchester United.

It was a depleted Chelsea side that travelled to north London as Ricardo Carvalho, Ashley Cole, Michael Ballack, Didier Drogba, Andrey Shevchenko and Arjen Robben all missed the fixture through injury.

Add to it that Khalid Boulahrouz was shown red during the first half; a dwindling Chelsea side were soon down to 10.

Gilberto Silva scored first, netting for the home side two minutes before the break, before Michael Essien evened the scores with a phenomenal strike in the 70th. It was 10 minutes after that Sinclair's debut would arrive.

Swapping for Shaun Wright-Phillips on the wing, under the watchful gaze of Jose Mourinho, Sinclair did well to set up Frank Lampard in the final minute, only for our number eight to narrowly miss the target.

'My favourite game was making my League debut for Chelsea,' says Sinclair, 'it was such a big thing for me. That will always stay in my mind.'

Favourite game watched:

It is proving to be popular. You have to go back five years for Scott's favourite game he's seen, to when he was a 16-year-old watching Liverpool take on Milan in the Final of the Champions League.

Liverpool had sealed their place in the final thanks to a phantom goal against Chelsea in the semis, and went on to produce a pretty dismal display during the first-half against Carlo Ancelotti's AC Milan.

They were playing in Istanbul and conceded the first goal with only 50 seconds of football played, when Paulo Maldini struck.

Then, for Milan's second, Andrey Schevchenko crossed for Herman Crespo to tap in at the near post before the Argentine made it three in the 42nd minute.

No one would have blamed you for thinking the game was beyond reach for Liverpool as they returned to the pitch for the second half, but it wasn't.

Instead Steven Gerrard rallied his side for one of the most incredible comebacks in football's recent history.

Heading home a John Arne Riise cross, the Liverpool captain brought belief back to the ranks only nine minutes after the restart.

A further goal then arrived from Vladimir Smicer before Xabi Alonso was given the opportunity to equalise from the penalty spot. He missed the initial shot but followed up on the rebound as Dida failed to hold on. It was 3-3 with 30 minutes left.

There would be no more goals in normal or extra-time and Liverpool eventually went on to win the game 3-2 on penalties, as Serginho, Andrea Pirlo and, surprisingly, Shevchenko all missed from the spot.

'How they came back from the 3-0 is amazing,' says Sinclair, 'and in the Champions League Final as well.

'At 3-0 you think the game is done but Gerrard was the difference in that one.'

Chelsea Could Pip Man City To David Silva

Manchester City have been given permission to open talks with Valencia midfielder David Silva, but Chelsea could yet make a move for the player.

Roberto Mancini has been linked with a move for Silva for weeks, and now his Spanish club have agreed to let City talk to the winger. The two clubs have yet to agree a fee but it now seems certain that Silva will be heading to the Premier League.

"As has been said, there is interest from Manchester City and we have permitted them to talk to the player, but we have reached no agreement and we have not talked about a fee," said Valencia's deputy chairman Javier Gomez.

Although City appear to be in pole position to land the midfielder's signature, it is far from certain that he will opt to move to Eastlands. Only on Sunday, Silva spoke of his desire to join Chelsea and the player's agent has again suggested he may prefer a move to Stamford Bridge.

"We're weighing up offers from three clubs and one is Chelsea," his agent, Julio Llorente, told the Daily Mail. "If Silva doesn't want to go to City, the transfer isn't possible."

Silva, currently with Spain at the World Cup finals, is expected to cost in the region of £28 million. While that is small change to owners of both clubs, it could be that Chelsea may prefer to spend big on a striker rather.

Last weekend Silva said of possible interest from Chelsea: "Chelsea have established themselves as one of the best clubs in Europe over the last five years. They might not have the history of Real Madrid or AC Milan but they are creating their own history now.

"There is no reason why in the future Chelsea can't be as decorated as Real Madrid. Chelsea probably have, along with Barcelona, the best squad in football and if any player joins Chelsea he knows he is going to win things.

"In players like John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba, they have players who would get into any team in the world and it would be a pleasure to play with them. There is no doubt in my mind that Chelsea would be a great club to play for - and a club where I could fulfil my ambition of league titles and the European Cup.

"The Premier League is still the place to be. No other league in the world has six or seven Champions League-quality teams."

Ballack Ready To Make His Mind Up

Michael Ballack has declared that he will make a decision on his future in the next fortnight.

The midfielder is on the lookout for a new club after Chelsea confirmed earlier this month that he would not be offered a new deal.

Having spent the past four years at Stamford Bridge, reports suggest that Ballack could now return to his native Germany.

Hamburg, Wolfsburg and Ballack's former club Bayer Leverkusen are understood to be leading the chase and will not have to wait long for his decision.

"I am able to confirm that I am going to make up my mind quickly," the 33-year-old told Bild.

"There will be a decision on my future in the next two weeks."

Leverkusen general manager Rudi Voller, meanwhile, has reiterated that he is hopeful of signing Ballack.

"It would be great news to see Michael returning to our club," stated Voller.

"(Manager) Jupp Heynckes would be extremely happy to see Michael coming back to us."

John Terry Throws Himself Back Into England Favour

It was a freeze-frame moment; a study of determination that appealed to the core of Fabio Capello and what he demands. Having hurled his body in the way of one fierce Slovenian shot, John Terry scrambled up and projected himself, almost horizontally, towards another.

His nose was just about brushing the turf, his neck muscles straining as he desperately tried to stop the ball. He was engulfed in one aim. They will not score. Terry narrowly missed but maybe he had done enough to unsettle the dangerous Valter Birsa and Glen Johnson was there to hack clear.

It was the 68th minute of Wednesday’s match, thick with tension, a tension that only increased, and it was as close as Slovenia came to breaching the England goal. It was also an episode which captured the essence of why Terry remains a remarkably committed, valuable defender even if his stock has dwindled dramatically off-the-field through recent months.

A man who should be an adjutant to captain Steven Gerrard — and by extension Capello — had developed into an agitator with his ill-judged, outspoken interventions of last weekend and his prickly mood around the camp before that. They revealed the strain at the heart of this England squad but also an opportunism that showed his own discontent and the isolation that he was in danger of placing himself in unless he acted.

But on Wednesday he was back on the pitch — a domain he is always more comfortable on than the podium. There was, in the immediate aftermath of the revelations over his private life last spring, evidence that he can steel himself through adversity — as he did scoring for Chelsea away to Burnley — even if he later revealed in subsequent performances that the pressure was showing.

The affair with Wayne Bridge’s former partner cost Terry the captaincy and that has continued to distract him, eat at him and been a factor in his anger that led to the possibility of a mutiny - by one man at least. Terry has since apologised to Capello, to the squad and also, one by one, to the players he named as having gone for a drink following the soulless draw against Algeria and who were horrified to be implicated by him in some kind of conspiracy.

It has surely been another humbling experience for Terry in the past few days but without Rio Ferdinand and with Ledley King injured and Jamie Carragher suspended, England needed him to step forward especially as, alongside him in central defence, Matthew Upson was beset by nerves, passing the ball haphazardly and appearing almost stage-struck. Terry had sought out Gerrard prior to kick-off for one of those pre-match chest kisses and he produced a performance that banished the doubts about his worth to this team.

Had he been anything less than excellent and it may have even become an issue as to whether Capello would leave him out for the last-16 match.

England still remain one poor performance from a crisis, a day of reckoning and accusation and Terry will be central to that shake-out whatever happened. But not on Wednesday.

He played his part on Wednesday, stamping his mark on the contest — there was a fearless recovery tackle after Upson had allowed the ball to bounce over his head, there was a storming run forward after England had scored and time and again he was there to intervene, push his body in the way and block. It’s what he does best. Terry almost scored, also, reaching a deep corner at the far post only for Slovenia’s impressive goalkeeper Samir Handanovic to push his header out. That would have been too much, surely, but Terry was relentless in his protection of the cause, his desire to keep England’s campaign alive.

Upson reacted too. At the death, Terry faltered, the ball running away from him, trying for one more desperate intervention but as substitute Zlato Dedic shaped to shoot, perhaps pulling the trigger to end England’s hopes, end Capello’s reign, it was Upson who threw everything into an emphatic tackle. It was one of which Terry would have been proud and after days in which he had hurt his own reputation and caused angst here was 90 minutes of redemption, 90 minutes of release. Capello will hope the unease as well as the fear has disappeared.

England Substitute Joe Cole Admits Relief At Slovenia Win

England star Joe Cole has admitted that the Three Lions' 1-0 World Cup victory over Slovenia was the most tense game he's been involved in during his career.

Jermain Defoe's first half winner was enough for Fabio Capello's side to clinch the win they needed to take them through to the second round of the tournament and Cole, a second half substitute for Wayne Rooney in Port Elizabeth, admits that the team were "exceptional".

"I could have got the nod today but the guys that came in - they were exceptional," Cole said.

"It was nice to come on and play a part. If we all stick together like we have done, we can go as far as we want in the tournament."

Cole, 28, has been involved in a number of tense and tight matches during his career but the Chelsea man, whose contract with the Blues expires at the end of the month, claims Wednesday's meeting with Slovenia tops the lot in terms of nerves.

"I have never been involved in such a tense game," he added.

"I've played in a Champions League final, FA Cup finals, league deciders but this was so tense so there was a lot of nervous energy.

"But I feel I have done what I've come on to do - slow the game down a bit, limit their passing.

I Couldn't Care Less That We Finished Second - Lampard

Frank Lampard is insisting that he "couldn't care less" about England's second-place finish in Group C at the World Cup, as it will give the side more time to prepare for their showdown with Germany on Sunday.

A last-gasp Landon Donovan winner for USA against Algeria relegated England into second place, leaving them to contemplate a more testing passage to glory than they would have faced had they won the group.

If they can negotiate a way past Germany, England are likely to face a quarter-final clash against an Argentina side that stormed through the opening stage with maximum points - but Lampard is remaining unconcerned about potential future opponents.

"I couldn't care less that we have finished second," Lampard said. “You cannot pick and choose your future matches. And finishing second might actually be a bonus for us because it now means we've got an extra day's rest before our next game on Sunday, rather than playing on Saturday."

England qualified for the round of 16 after producing a markedly improved performance to defeat Slovenia 1-0, having stuttered to draws against USA and Algeria in their first two games in South Africa.

Fabio Capello's men looked less inhibited by fear, and played with a greater freedom in their passing and movement as a result. Lampard was impressed by the performance, and he is urging his team-mates to use it as a springboard for progression in the tournament.

"This performance gives us a lot to build on. You have seen it many a time when teams in tournaments start a bit cagey and then come strong," he said. "We have to try to follow that model and try to keep improving every game. For everyone who is in it, the tournament starts here because it is knock-out."

Florent Malouda: France's World Cup Was "A Complete Disaster"

Florent Malouda acknowledged that France’s World Cup campaign has been a complete disgrace.

After a 2-1 defeat to host South Africa on Tuesday, France crashed out of the tournament earning only a single point and scoring just one goal in finishing bottom of Group A.

Malouda confessed that the players are the only ones to blame for the poor campaign in South Africa and believes that the team has a lot of work to do if they are going to repair the damage done to France’s reputation.

"The way people see France right now is a disaster and we, as players, are the first responsible for that,” Malouda told The Sun.

"We have failed from the sport's point of view and outside the sport in the image we've shown.

"I don't know if it's going to be possible but we have to work hard to restore the image of the French national team in the world."

The Chelsea star admitted that the team’s mutiny after Blues team-mate Nicolas Anelka was a catastrophe.

"Yeah, it was a complete disaster. We didn't know it would affect so many people."

Ivanovic Eliminated

Defeat to Australia saw Branislav Ivanovic and Serbia knocked out of the World Cup on Wednesday night, as Germany and Ghana went through.

Serbia were well-fancied against the Australians but wasted a host of first-half chances and then fell two behind, while Germany were 1-0 winners over Ghana, the Africans progressing thanks to their superior goal difference to Australia.

Ivanovic played the full 90 minutes for the Serbs, and almost scored, only to see his shot brilliantly saved (pictured above) before Australia took control and ended the Chelsea man's World Cup dream.

Ghana went into the final round of games top of Group D, and required only a point against the Germans to secure their passage into the last 16. Germany needed to win to guarantee their qualification, but could go through with a draw if the Serbs did not beat Australia.

For Ivanovic and Serbia it was simple, win and you're through, and they started the better side against the Australians, who themselves were not yet eliminated but would need Ghana to beat the Germans to progress.

Inside the opening minutes Milos Krasic could and then should have given his side the lead, first shooting straight at Aussie 'keeper Mark Schwarzer, and then rounding him but shooting over from a tight angle.

Germany were almost gifted the lead at Soccer City when John Mensah diverted the ball towards his own goal, Ghana goalkeeper Richard Kingson forced into a tremendous save to keep it out.

After 20 minutes in Nelspruit, Chelsea man Ivanovic made a key interception at the far post, out-jumping Josh Kennedy after mark Bresciano had delivered a deep cross from the Australian right.

Two minutes later he could have given his side the lead, ghosting into the area and firing a bouncing ball hard across Schwarzer, who outstretched his arm and made the type of excellent save fans of his Premier League club Fulham have grown used to seeing.

Sami Khedira should have scored for Germany but was denied by Ghanaian stopper Kingson, and then Nikola Zigic headed wide for the Serbs after Ivanovic had supplied a killer cross.

Krasic had an effort disallowed for offside and Kingson pushed a Bastian Schweinsteiger free-kick away, so both games went in goalless at half-time. If it stayed that way, Ivanovic would head home.

Jason Culina fired just wide and then Mark Bresciano had a free-kick tipped wide as Australia started the second period brightly in Nelspruit, and then came news of a German goal from Soccer City.

It came from Mesut Ozil, one of the bright young things of this tournament, who sent a dipping left-footed shot into the Ghanaian net.

Now Serbia definitely needed a goal, but they were on the back foot and twice Ivanovic saved them, first hooking clear as the ball bounced in a busy penalty area, and then when he beat Tim Cahill to a loose ball after goalkeeper Dragan Stojkovic had let the ball out of his grasp. First class from the Double-winning defender.

Ivanovic couldn't save them a third time though, and when Cahill out-jumped Nemanja Vidic and headed goalwards, there was only one outcome, and Serbia had a mountain to climb.

That mountain grew just minutes later as sub Brett Holman fired in from distance to double the Australian lead, and suddenly the Socceroos had a chance to go through.

They still needed two more goals though, either for themselves or the Germans, to level the goal difference with Ghana, but when Marko Pantelic pulled one back for Serbia their dream must have died.

The forward had the ball in the net again, but the flag went up, and when the same player sent an easy chance a yard over from just six yards out, the game was up. It is a desperately disappointing end to the season for one of Chelsea's most improved men.

Germany will now face England, and Ghana will play USA in the second round matches this weekend.

My Favourite Games: Juliano Belletti

Juliano Belletti is another whose time with Chelsea will conclude at the end of this month, but before departing he shares with us two games he holds dear - one is a popular choice, the other a perfectly understandable one.

Favourite game played:

Club football comes no bigger than the Champions League Final, and the 34-year-old has been fortunate enough to play in two, though they ended in very different ways.

A last-minute sub against Manchester United in Moscow in 2008, the Brazilian converted his spot-kick in the penalty shootout but would end up on the losing side, a stark contrast to two years earlier in Paris, when his late strike completed a Barcelona comeback against 10-man Arsenal.

Madcap goalkeeper Jens Lehmann had been sent off for the Gunners early on, but defender Sol Campbell had headed them into a first-half lead that they looked like holding on to. That was until the introduction of the sub right-back.

Almost immediately Barça equalised as Henrik Larsson played in Samuel Eto'o, and four minutes later it was the turn of the future Chelsea man to have a go at goal, and he takes up the story.

'It is different,' he smiles. 'Individually the Champions League was the most special game because I scored, if I had not scored being at the World Cup would be the best. I came on with 20 minutes to go, and in 10 minutes I scored.

'You never imagine things around the game, just to play well. Frank Rijkaard told me, "Try to go forward, be offensive, try to cross", because we were losing.

'Then at 1-1, you never imagine a right-back makes a diagonal run inside, but I am Brazilian. When I touched the ball to Larsson in this direction, normally the right back follows the pass outside, but I saw the space between the defenders, and of course it was a perfect pass from Larsson.'

Belletti carried on the run and smashed the ball between Manuel Almunia's legs to win the game for the Catalans.

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A year prior to Paris, the Champions League Final had taken place in Istanbul, and present was Belletti's future manager at Chelsea, Carlo Ancelotti.

His Milan side raced into a 3-0 first-half lead against Liverpool, courtesy of a goal from Paolo Maldini and two from Hernan Crespo, on loan from Chelsea.

What followed was unthinkable, as Liverpool scored three in six minutes through Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso, before goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek made an incredible save from Andriy Shevchenko (another future Chelsea man) and then saved three penalties as Liverpool became European champions.

'Liverpool against Milan. I was watching on TV at home, it was a final, and it just goes to prove that you never can give up,' Belletti says. 'Even if your opponent has some of the best players in the world you always have a chance to change everything.'