While the likes of Ricardo Carvalho and Paolo Ferreira were always going to praise the appointment of Big Phil Scolari as the new Chelsea manager, it’s naturally more interesting to hear the thoughts of the non-Portuguese players in the camp. Germany’s Michael Ballack has stepped forward to deliver his verdict and reveals that he’s delighted with the instalment, despite his club manager winning the World Cup with Brazil in 2002, at the expense of his nation.

Sporting Life report on an upbeat German captain, despite this country’s poor performance against Croatia on Thursday. Who could have predicted that Ballack would be so hilarious as well!

“Even though I didn’t play, the World Cup final was one of the worst times of my career,” Ballack recalled.

“But, of course, I forgive Scolari now he is my Chelsea manager.

“I don’t know him yet apart from the odd ‘hello’, but he has done very well and he has all the credentials.

“He has won a lot of titles, was in the last European Championship final with Portugal and won the World Cup with Brazil, so he is very successful.

“He is definitely a man to be respected by all the players.”

Ballack must have been pleased to see the back of Jose Mourinho, with his Blues career positively transformed by Avram Grant. Perhaps next season is when the German becomes one of, if not the stand-out player in a Chelsea shirt but firstly, he’s got to somehow lift his national team out of it’s current doldrums.