Germany Skipper Michael Ballack Hits Out At Fans

The midfielder was far from happy with the way the German fans behaved on Wednesday...

Germany and Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack celebrates the win over wales

Germany booked their ticket for the 2010 World Cup on Saturday with a heroic 1-0 away win against Russia. Therefore, they didn't have too much left to play for on Wednesday evening in the match against Finland.

This showed on the pitch and the Germans put in a far from impressive performance to record a 1-1 draw. But the home crowd reacted furiously to the lack-lustrous performance of the Mannschaft and expressed their feelings by jeering and whistling the German players, much to the dismay of skipper Michael Ballack.

"I just can't understand the whistles. Of course, we didn't play well, but the team does not deserve that after a good qualification campaign," said the Chelsea midfielder to reporters after the game.

"We are all disappointed, but I expected a bit more tact from our own fans.

"In the first-half, we didn't play well, everyone saw that," added Germany coach Joachim Loew.

"After the break, we raised our game, but Finland defended well and we weren't as fresh as we were in Moscow."