Portsmouth Football Club News

• Nickname:Pompey
• Founded:1898
• Manager:Michael Appleton

• Ground:Fratton Park
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Boateng sorry for Ballack tackle

18 May 2010 - 13:12:09

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Portsmouth midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng has issued an apology to Chelsea's Michael Ballack for the challenge which ended the Germany international's World Cup hopes.

The Ghana star's tackle resulted in Ballack picking up an ankle injury during Saturday's FA Cup final at Wembley which resulted in the Chelsea star having to limp out of the action as Carlo Ancelotti's team edged to a 1-0 victory.

Boateng told Sport Bild magazine: "All I can do is apologise.

"I was just too late and I hit him straight on. It looked stupid. I apologised to him twice on the field and now for a third time. I am sorry. It was not intentional."

Meanwhile, Ballack's agent Michael Becker has not ruled out taking legal action against Boateng, saying: "Every spectator could see what Boateng has done and that was clearly a premeditated foul.

"It is not possible that somebody breaks the rules with the intent to cause injury. The football field is not outside the law, even if Boateng believes that."

Ghana face Germany in the group stages of the World Cup finals in South Africa which start in just over three weeks' time.