BERLIN, Oct 25: Germany captain Michael Ballack has agreed to meet coach Joachim Loew to clear the air after their public row although Chelsea have denied him permission to travel, the German Football Association (DFB) said on Friday.

Loew reacted furiously to comments from Ballack, published earlier this week, suggesting senior players were not being given enough respect in the national team.

The coach said he would insist on Ballack attending a private meeting with him in Germany and the row showed signs of cooling when the DFB announced on Friday that the two men had agreed to the talks after speaking by telephone.

However, it now looks as if Loew will be the one who has to travel if he wants the meeting to go ahead before the squad meets up for Germany’s match at home to England next month.

“We received a fax from Chelsea on Friday afternoon, stating that after his foot operation Ballack would not be allowed to travel on medical grounds,” the DFB said in a later statement.

Germany’s Sueddeutsche newspaper quoted Chelsea coach Luiz Felipe Scolari as saying he would invite Loew to spend one or two days at the English club if he wanted to speak to Ballack.

The row between the two most important figures in the national team began when Ballack criticised the coach’s handling of some selection issues.—Reuters