96 million reasons why Chelsea let Ballack team up with the Germans

Michael Ballack's future was shrouded in more confusion today after Chelsea made an embarrassing climbdown over an adidas photoshoot in Cologne.

The club were forced to release the midfielder to take part in the event for Germany's Euro 2008 campaign after initially denying permission.

Officials from Germany's football federation had to spend the weekend trying to make contact with Stamford Bridge.

Ballack has already been omitted from Chelsea's Champions League squad and they would have struggled to justify his absence from an event with one of their biggest backers.

The sportswear company is not only a major sponsor for the federation and the midfielder, but it also has an eight-year kit deal which could be worth £96million to the Premier League club.

Blues chief executive Peter Kenyon is understood to have been away last week and German officials were frustrated they could not speak to anyone about the event which Chelsea are believed to have known about for four weeks.

Ballack prepared to fly back to London from Germany, where he was having treatment on his ankle injury, before he finally secured permission last night.

After more than four months on the sidelines Ballack, who is running again, is upset that he will miss the Champions League matches.

He said: "I am disappointed. But have to focus on getting healthy again. Then I can make up my mind about other things."