..::BIOGRAPHY::..

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 doesnīt even want to think about it. He had already lost one of his best players- Sebastian Deisler- with a very serious injury and couldnīt afford losing Ballack. Michael dismisses all press and say he is fit to play. So, Nationalelf leaves for WCī02 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 wasnīt 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 didnīt think about hinself but the team . Bild reports that when Michael arrived to the Hotel, he called his father Stephan and couldnīt 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 didnīt work out was they wanted. Bayern didnīt 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.


Predator in midfield,& Honours Chapters are taken from Michael's Official Site the rest is a brief summary made by Andrea from the Forum.