Michael Ballack
By Andrea.
Michael born in the east German city of Gorliz on September 26, 1976 (Libra). He started his career with BSG Motor "Fritz Heckert" Karl-Marx-Stadt.His parents sent him to train with the side when he was seven years old, and he immediately caught the attention of coach Steffen Haenisch, who had played second-divison football himself in the GDR. Haenisch was impressed by Ballack's delicate touch, which the coach would have attributed to many years' worth of training if the boy hadn't been so young. Also unusual for his age was Ballack's ability to use both feet with equal authority. "I instantly saw that he was growing into an outstanding talent," Haenisch says. Ballack was slowly eased into the first youth team, and he debuted on October 4, 1983, during a 2-1 win over Motor Ascona Karl-Marx-Stadt. He became a goal-scoring threat: in only his third season he scored 57 goals in only 16 games. At the age of ten, he moved on to a bigger club - Karl-Marx-Stadt FC, later to become Chemnitz FC.


Life at Chemnitz FC
In 1988, the gifted technician won the district indoor championships with his new team. Nurtured by coaches Juergen Haeuberer and Eberhard Schuster, Ballack moved up the ranks, winning the indoor title of Saxony in 1991 and finally, three years later, the proper Under-19 championship of this federal state. In 1995, Michael Ballack was given his first professional contract, thanks to his impressive silky skills in the role as midfield maestro. Little surprise, then, that he was dubbed the "Little Kaiser", in reference to Franz Beckenbauer. His professional debut came on August 4, 1995, on the first day of the new Second Bundesliga season. But Chemnitz lost this game, 2-1, against Leipzig, at the end of the season, during which Ballack made fifteen appearances, Chemnitz were relegated to the multi-tiered, regional third division. For Ballack himself, however, that season held one great success: on March 26, 1996, he made his debut for Germany's Under-21 side. In the following season, Ballack became a regular first-team player and almost helped Chemnitz to bounce straight back. He didn't miss a game and scored ten goals for the "Sky Blues". It wasn't enough for Chemnitz to go up, but Ballack managed to win his own, personal promotion: in the summer of 1997, he joined 1. FC Kaiserslautern, who had just returned to the top flight. In the back of his strong performances for Chemnitz and Germany's U21 side, Michael Ballack was lured to palatinate's premier club, Kaiserslautern, by coach Otto Rehhagel. This was a great opportunity for the youngster: Kaiserslautern promised to be a fine platform for his talents, since the club had just been promoted back to the Bundesliga. What's more, Ballack would be able to learn from an experienced coach like Rehhagel. It was during the seventh game of the 97-98 season, away to Karlsruhe, that Rehhagel decided to throw young Ballack into the bear-pit known as the Bundesliga for the first time, if only for the final five minutes of the encounter. On March 28, 1998, Ballack found himself in the starting line-up for the first time - the opponents were Bayer Leverkusen, and the novice was given the crucial job of marking playmaker Emerson, his future team-mate, out of the game. Ballack made sixteen appearances for his new team during the season and thus played a not-too small part in Kaiserslautern's sensational triumph - the club became the first-ever newly promoted team to lift the league title. A measure of how well Ballack played was that Germany's famous "kicker" magazine granted the newcomer an average mark of 2.94 for the year (which amounts to "above average"). In the following season, Ballack became both a regular (he made 30 appearances, scoring four goals) and one of the side's leading players. Kaiserslautern reached the quarter finals of the Champions League, but were knocked out by - Bayern Munich. On July 1, 1999, some two months after his first full international, Ballack moved to Bayer Leverkusen at the age of 22. He still had a year left on his contract with Kaiserslautern, which is why Leverkusen paid a transfer fee of 8m German Marks. An investement that would prove to be wise. One reason for Michael Ballack's move to Leverkusen was that he hoped to further improve under coach Christoph Daum and make Germany's squad for Euro 2000. Both hopes came true: Daum realised Ballack's flexibility and successfully fielded him in next to every midfield position. With Ballack in the side, Leverkusen played wonderful football, but it was not enough to win a title. In 2000, the league championship was lost on the final day, and two years later Bayer delivered a season for the history books: the team was once more runner-up in the Bundesliga, was very unlucky to lose the Champions League final to Real Madrid and got beaten in the German Cup final. Back then, disappointment ruled supreme among Bayer's fans, players and officials - but with the benefit of hindsight we now know that it was an almost unbelievable achievement of the side to challenge for the title in all these competitions. Ballack played a major part in this, stopping the opposition from scoring in his role as a holding midfielder and at the same time creating or scoring goals upfront for this he was voted "Germany's Footballer of the Year" that winter.But by the time Ballack was presented with the trophy he was under contract at a new club. Mighty Bayern Munich had signed him the previous summer to get closer to their lofty goals. Bayern parted with a transfer fee of 6m Euros to lure Michael Ballack, Europe's top-scoring midfield player, to the river Isar. There were some other big-name clubs in the running for Ballack's signature, yet the player turned down very lucrative offers and chose to play his football in Munich, as he valued sporting perspectives more than financial rewards. "Financially, the potential would have been bigger at Real Madrid," he said. "But no footballer who wants to reach aims in his life thinks only about money. I think of titles. Bayern is the best place from a sporting point of view, they have won the Champions League and the World Club Cup. This is where I can develop." The transfer turned out to be a huge success for both parties. Ballack even improved on his goal tally, outstanding to begin with, and found the target 30 times in his first three years at Bayern, good enough to win four trophies. In his debut season with the Munich giants he lifted the double and defended his title as the country's Footballer of the Year. It was only on the European stage that triumph proved a long time in coming. Yet Bayern did manage to improve their Champions League record step by step: from elimination in the group stages (2002-03) over reaching the round of the last sixteen (2003-04) to narrowly missing out in the quarter-finals (2004-05). In other words: the biggest goal, winning Europe's premier club competition, is still very much within reach.



The World Cup - 2002
Two months before WC 2002 starts, Michael has an injury. People start talking about him not going to WC , what Rudi Völler doesn´t even want to think about it. He had already lost one of his best players- Sebastian Deisler- with a very serious injury and couldn´t afford losing Ballack. Michael dismisses all press and say he is fit to play. So, Nationalelf leaves for WC´02 and no one believed they would go far in the tournament. Germany first match was against Saudi Arabia and Michael scored 1 of 8 goalson the match. Even without playing well, Germany is the 1st of its group and qualify for 8 finals. Notice that in the match against Cameroon Michael feels the injury but still plays the rest of the Cup and wins his first yellow card on that match. Germany wins Paraguay and win by 1 x 0 and goes to 4 finals against USA. Germany was playin very bad but in the end of 1st half after a Neuville cross, Ballack scored. The match ends Germany 1 x0 USA. Nobody could believe that Germany was in the semi-finals! They were going to play against South Korea. Germany was playin well when , on 71 min Frings leaves a korean alone and when he was about to score Michael taclkes him. Yellow card for Michael and his dream of playin a World Cup final was over... but games wasn´t over yet. On 74th min, Neuville with counter-attack pass to Michael to score. Michael shoots once but goalkeeper defends he tries again and Ballack scores. Germany 1 x 0 South Korea . Germany is on WC final!!!!! In the end of the match, journalist asked Michael how he is was feeling. He said , ironically, that maybe this was best and Germany got a chance to win the WC,since he had already lost 3 finals on that year. Rudi Voeller said Michael was a real man , because he didn´t think about hinself but the team . Bild reports that when Michael arrived to the Hotel, he called his father Stephan and couldn´t say a word. His dad only said : You did the right thing,son . On the final against Brazil , Michael watched Germany lose by 2 x 0. When the team came back to Germany, people were celebrating like them like Heroes. They knew they had done their best . Michael had now a new club : FC Bayern München , the richest German club and 3rd team with most fans in the country. He was supposed to substitute Bayern legend Steffan Effenberg on Bayern team and on fans heart. Michael says he is not going to replace anyone in the team but only play what he can there. His first goal for Bayern in Bundesliga was against Arminia Bielefeld and the match was 6 x 2. Champions League matches came up and Bayern and Ballack and other ex-Leverkusen players had high expectations but things didn´t work out was they wanted. Bayern didn´t pass 1st round. The team and Bayern management were disappointed and Michael complained about his position in the team. He had an argument with Ottmar Hitzfeld and got a fee . He answered by scoring 2 goals in the following match. Ottmar Hitzfeld said after the match: "Maybe we should warn him more often. " On September 19th 2002, Michael had one of the happiest day ever. His second son, Emilio was born and he watched the birth, like he did with Louis back in 2001. With the lost of CL so prematuly , FC Bayern wanted to win Bundesliga and German Cup no matter what. They open 20 points difference in december and Michael had scored 3 doubles before winter break. The team comes back from winter break with a major set-back. Michael had an injury during the match against his former club ,Bayer Leverkusen, on German Cup semi-finals. FC Bayern is on the finals, but Michael had to stay away from football during three months, incluing one of them with cast and scrutch.



Finally Champion
FC Bayern had a slight change in the championship and lose some points, but nothing important. They could win the championship in April but it seemed like they wanted to wait for Michael to come back, because they only win in the match Michael is back from the injury. This was the first championship Michael won being one of the regular players of the team and FC Bayern´s 18th Bundesliga title. Bayern still had the German Cup final a month later against K´Lautern and Michael seemed to enjoy being champions because he decides the match in the first 20 minutes with a header and a penalty. Fc Bayern wins 3 x 1 K`Lautern. Fc Bayern wins the double and expectations for the upcoming season were high. Michael Ballack wins the Kicker Germany Player of the Year for the 2 nd time in a row but thing weren´t looking so good in Germany NT. Germany were having difficult times tryin to qualify for Europcup 2004. They only qualify in the last round, against Iceland in Germany, with Michael scoring two goals.Germany were going to Eurocup, Rudi Voeller job was safe and Michael was once more hero of the day for Germany. But, if he was a hero for Germany NT, same thing wasn´t happening in Bayern. The season had already started and FC Bayern was really bad. They were only 5th in Bundesliga and it was very difficult for the team to qualify for 8 finals in CL. Michael had an injury but decided to keep playin because he felt like the team needed him... In the beggining of 2004, Bayern lost for Real Madrid in CL 8 finals, with the whole team playin bad but scapegoats were Ballack and Kahn, the leaders of the team. Bayern had now time to try to catch Werder Bremen but they couldn´t. In April 2004, Bayern loses in Olympic Stadium for Werder Bremen and say bye bye to Bundesliga title. Michael was sent off twice in this season,after almost 3 years without being sent-off. They could still try to win German Cup but they fail as they lost for the umpressive Alemmania Aachen on semi-finals, with a lousy display by Ballack. That was one of the worst seasons ever for FC Bayern. Rumours said that Michael Ballack and Oliver Kahn weren´t getting along well and each of them had a group on the team and that team´s coach Ottmar Hitzfeld was having problems keeping discipline in the team. Michael was being critized from Bayern management directors, like Franz Beckenbauer, Uli Hoeness and K.H Rummenigge. It´s when Barcelona contacts Bayern tryin to get Michael. Barça´s president Laporta and his directors travel to München with 10mi. for Bayern. Michael says maybe it´s time to move on and says he is sorry by Bayern directors that didn´t support him and only critized his performances. Michael wanted to stay away of it and only concern about EuroCup. Germany had no luck with their draw in group stage , having to play against Holland and Czech Rep. Michael was man of the match in the match against Holland and Letonia but it wasn´t enough and Germany is knocked out on group stage.Ballack and Lahm are the only players who aren´t critized by German Press. Rudi Voeller is dismissed and for his place they contact Klismann.



Capitan...
With Klinsmann's arrival at the German NT many things start to change but the most important is that Michael Ballack is now Germany National Team captain. Nothing bad for the guy who was harshly critized by press for his lack of leadership skills, with Netzer sayin he would never be a leader because he was born in East Germany.He is Germany´s 1st East born captain.
Euro was over and Michael had problems with FC Bayern Bayern when they didnt accepted the 10 mi offer... Barça now offers 12 mi. That is their last offer and Bayern say they´ll only accept 18 mi . Barcelona offers the same ammount for Deco , "stealing " him from Bayern, who wanted to contact him and sell Ballack. Michael said months later was had absolutely sure he was going to be sold by Bayern and was really surprised when Bayern didn´t accept Barça´s offer. Rumours say Bayern had also offered Michael for Real Madrid but they wouldn´t pay what Bayern wanted. Beckenbauer says they´ll only sell Michael for 100 mi. Michael and Bayern board directors have a serious talk, where Michael demands full support from them in the next season. By this time , Bayern already had a new coach , Felix Magath, who has called Michael and convinced him to stay in Bayern, promising that things would be very different with him there. Ballack decides to stay in Fc Bayern one more season. Felix Magath had problems in the beggining with his new tactics and training sessions. They wouldn´t talk to each other and season started with Bayern just a little better than last year´s. It was when Bayern was 5th in Bundesliga and they lost for 4 x 1 to Bayer Leverkusen.That was the first time in 15 years Bayen lost for such a result. Players and coach had a very serious conversation, where each side explained the problems they were having. So, they made a deal ; They were going to win every single title they wanted. Bayern started to play better and better. The Champions League qualifyin was tough but they made with great displays against Ajax. Even Michael, who didn´t score for 2 seasons in Champions League, scored.It was december and Bayern , Schalke 04 , Stuttgart and Werder Bremen were fighting for winter´s break title and Bundesliga 1st place. It´s when Michael gets sick with a cold (and a small injury) and Felix Magath has to change the team. He puts reserve Martin Demichelis on Michael position. Demichelis plays very well and when Michael comes back he has to try new tactics. Back from winter´s break, Bayern had to face Arsenal in Champions League 8 finals. In the first match they won by 3 x 1 , surprising everyone who thought they would lose . Michael starts playin very well again,with his new position scoring many goals and being more and more important to the team. On Champions League 4 finals Bayern had to play against Chelsea. First game was in Stanford Bridge and Chelsea were winning by 4x1 when on 90 min, Michael is tackled and , from penalty he scores 4 x 2. Second leg of the 4 finals , Bayern tried really hard and won by 3 x 2 but it wasn´t enough. Even being sad over the defeat, Bayern is really happy because they know it only takes a little for them to be one of the best in Europe again. After a whole day in the hospital with his long time girlfriend Simone, minutes after midnight of March 17th, Michael and Simone have their 3rd baby boy, named Jordi. Like he always did with his two other boys , he watched the birth and scores a goal in the following match. Bayern and Schalke were fighting for the 1st place in Bundesliga but Schalke suddenly loses and Bayern starts playin extremily well. Michael is scoring in all matches and many of those were winning goals , since Bayern strikers Makaay and Pizarro weren´t playin so well. Michael scores 5 times in a row, leading Bayern to their 19th Bundesliga title. Michael ends the season as one of the most important players of Bayern and probably without him Bayern wouldn´t win Bundesliga this year. FC Bayern once more wins German Cup against the same Schalke 04, and Michael was one of the most important players in tha match. Bayern management and coach Magath are all pleased with Ballack´s performance and wanna keep him in the team, extending the contract.



Danke Deutschland
The Contract was extended until the 2005-2006 season...but Michael had diferent asspirations for his carrer... he wanted to win the Champions League... but most important he had to focus on the World Cup... by May 2006 we find out that Michael was moving to English Gigant FC Chelsea with an impressive sallary...Michael had to say goodbay to Germany. Many people thought he was only doing it for money and both media and the fans were being hard on him... at his last match at FC Bayern he got booed by the fans. But it was time to move on to the World Cup.
The opening match of Germany's World cup was between the host and Costa Rica... Michael missed the match because of a slight injury but still the team won with no problems. For the second match against Poland was complicated for the whole team and they only got a 1-0 result in the final minutes with this Germany was practically on the next round....for the last game of the 1st round they also won against Ecuador. In the round of 16 Germany faced sweden and won 2-0 to move on and face Argentina.... this match was decisive Argentina was for many the favorite in this match with big stars like Riquelme and Cambiasso while Germany could only hold to their great team work... the match got more difficult each second for both sides... they had to go to extra times... then Argentina scored....but the German team were at home and they didnt lose the spirit.. in a side kick michael did a center ... Borowski headed the ball .. then Klose... and Germany was 1-1 in extra times... Michael started suffering from horrible pain in his legs... he didnt even wanted to touch the ball for a few minutes... but he new his precense was a decisive factor for his team.... they had to go to penalty shots. The capitan was the first to shot... and the ball was in... with an awesome performace by Jens lehmann and bad luck for poor Cambiasso Germany was up to the next round against Italy....
THIS CHAPTER ISNT FINISHED YET ... WORKING ON IT..