Michael Ballack
Michael Ballack
Michael Ballackis a retired German footballer. He is among the top goal scorers in the history of the German national team. Ballack wore the number 13 shirt for every team he has played for except for Kaiserslautern. He was selected by Pelé as one of FIFA's 125 Greatest Living Players, and as the UEFA Club Midfielder of the Year in 2002. He won the German Footballer of the Year award three times – in 2002, 2003 and 2005. Ballack was...
ProfessionSoccer Player
Date of Birth26 September 1976
CityGorlitz, Germany
club decision extend great offers possible turned
Bayern is a great club that offers all possibilities. I haven't made a decision yet, that's all, and I think it's understandable. It's an important decision in my life. I feel well in Munich. It's possible that I extend the contract. I never turned Bayern down.
european thinking
Right now, I am thinking only about the European Championship,
against step title
No. 1 against No. 2, that's a big match. We want to take another step to the title against Hamburg.
compact
We have to be very compact in the midfield.
climbed game played pulled rankings skin
When we played them at the 2002 World Cup, it was a game we pulled by the skin of our teeth, we were lucky. They've climbed up the rankings and no one has noticed. Sometimes they are underestimated by the public.
serious signed
There have been serious talks. Nothing has been signed yet but I know what I want.
best good memories
We have good memories of the stadium, one of the best in Germany.
club inform next november playing
I told them that I would inform the club at the end of November where I would be playing next season.
compact game normal shooting strength win
It's not so important if I get into a shooting position. Our strength is the defense, that's where we have to win balls. We have to play our normal game, be very compact in midfield. That's our game and that's what we do best.
clubs dream foreign mine pressure staying talk time
Foreign clubs can't talk to me before then. It's been a dream of mine to play abroad. But staying in Bayern is also possible. I don't want to put myself under any time pressure and I didn't want any deadlines.
decision
Then there was the decision about transferring to Bayern,
decided serious signed talks
Nothing has been decided yet and nothing signed but I'm in serious talks with Chelsea.
advance advantage both either far hard home people possibilities
It may be an advantage for us that we are hard to assess, that people think we can either advance far or go home after the first round. Both possibilities can happen.
good hard stay
It's hard to stay here when one has good possibilities,