Michael Ballack is a German international football player who currently features Bundesliga club, Bayer Leverkusen. He is a creative midfielder and is also the captain of the German national team.
Michael Ballack developed his football skills with a German side team, Chemnitz and made his professional debut for the club in 1995. After two seasons he was signed by Kaiserslautern and played for them regularly for two seasons.
In the summer of 1999 Bayer Leverkusen came calling and signed Ballack from Kaiserslautern for 4.1 million euros and thereafter Ballack achieved international acclaim. He prospered at the Bayarena and played 79 league matches in three seasons from 1999 to 2002. In the 2001-2002 Ballack charged Bayer to the final of the German Cup (loss against Schalke 04) and the UEFA Champions League (loss against Real Madrid), to second place in the German Bundesliga (champion Borussia Dortmund) and also the German team to the world final (loss versus Brazil).
| Position | Midfielder |
| Height / weight | 1.88 m / 89 kg |
| Born | 26 Sep 1976 |
| Nationality |
Germany
|
| Nickname | Balla, Micha, Kapitano |
| Official Site | www.michael-ballack.com |
| Team History | |
Leverkusen
|
2010 - 2012 |
Chelsea
|
2006 - 2010 |
Bayern
|
2002 - 2006 |
|
Leverkusen
|
1999 - 2002 |
Kaiserslautern
|
1997 - 1999 |
|
Kaiserslautern
|
1997 - 1998 |
Sky Blues
|
1995 - 1997 |
|
Sky Blues
|
1995 - 1997 |
German powerhouse Bayern Munich signed Ballack from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2002 for 12.9 million euro. He was a huge success again at Bayern and scored 44 goals in 107 German Bundesliga matches and won the Bundesliga in 2003,2005 and 2006. Moreover, he was also voted as the German Footballer of the Year in 2002,2003 and 2005.
In the summer of 2006 Chelsea signed Ballack on a free transfer but the German king struggled to find his footing in his debut season in the English Premier League. However, he was arguably the best player for Chelsea in the 2007-2008 season as he inspired the Blues to the final of the UEFA Champions League and to second place in the English Premier League in 2008.
In 2010, Ballack finally departed from Chelsea, on terms that seemed a bit sour. His 105 match stint with Chelsea ended with 17 goals to his name, over a period of 4 seasons. He moved back to Germany, joining the club that shot him into fame, Bayer Leverkusen.
His two year contract began on a sour note as Ballack hurt his shin and went onto the sick-lineup. He didn’t play in 2010 FA Cup Final match and returned only in February 2011, after recovering from injury.
Career Highlights
Michael Ballack made his international debut for Germany in 1999 and has since gone on to play 87 matches and scoring 38 goals. He played for his nation at the 2002 World Cup, the Euro 2004, the 2006 Germany World Cup and the Euro 2008. After being named captain for the German national team in 2010, Ballack got injured in a tackle by Kevin-Prince Boateng in the final of the FA Cup.
