Michael Ballack Biography

Michael Ballack nationality

is German. He received numerous awards and titles during his career. He is considered one of the best midfielders of his generation. His great style of play along with excellent Techniques made him a tough opponent to go up against on the field. The former footballer is a product of Chemnitzer FC, and he established himself as a professional player in this club.

The legendary player has a remarkable story of how he got where he is today. He served in big clubs like Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich and Chelsea. He made a lot of wonders during his career and was named one of the best, numerous times. Stay tuned for an incredible story of Michael Ballack biography.

Things About Michael Ballack Biography,You Probably Didn’t Know

The legendary Michael Ballack was named the German Footballer of the Year three times (2002, 2003, 2005). The footballer flourished in Bayer Leverkusen where he got his big break and made a name for himself. It was at this club that Ballack earned his first German Footballer of the Year Award. Find out details about

Michael Ballack biography

in the following.

Michael Ballack Information

Before we start with Michael Ballack childhood story and his early life we will fill you in with some details and information about the legendary footballer.

Michael Ballack Bio

Full Name: Michael Ballack         

Nickname: Little Kaiser

Personal Information

Michael Ballack Date of birth: 26 September 1976

Body Measurements

• Michael Ballack Date of birth: 26 September 1976

• Zodiac sign: Libra

• Place of birth: Görlitz, East Germany

• Father: Stephan Ballack

• Mother: Karin Ballack

• Michael Ballack Religion: Christian– Catholic

• Marital status: Divorced

• Ex-wife: Simone Lambe (m. 2008–2012)

• Partner: Natacha Tannous (2015–)

• Children: Louis (b.2001), Emilio (b.2002) and Jordi (b.2005)

Football Information

• Height:1.89 m

• Weight:80 kg

• Hair Color: Dark brown

• Eye Color: Blue

Michael Ballack Early Life

Now let’s get into the details of

Michael Ballack childhood

story. The legendary footballer was born in the German town Görlitz on September 26, 1976, to his father Stephan Ballack worked as an engineer, and his mother Karin, was a secretary. Ballack was an only child. His father was a professional footballer as well. He played in second division football association in Germany. The gifted footballer inherited the passion for the game and probably that was what put Ballack in his path. As a kid he dreamed of one day becoming a professional footballer and play for big clubs.

When he was very young his family moved to

. When they arrived in their new home at the age of seven his parents sent him to train with the side. The boy trained in the soccer club Chemnitz however it was two hours away from home, but that didn’t stop the stubborn Ballack from training. As a little boy Ballack showed his ability to use both of his feet with the same control. Find out more details about Michael Ballack biography in the following.

Michael Ballack Profile

Ballack had an amazing journey in football which was full of success, honor and sometimes setbacks. Stay tuned and let’s begin the journey together.

Early Days in Football 

Back in 1995, the gifted player signed his first professional contract with the Chemnitzer FC. At the time Ballack was nicknamed “Little Kaiser”, in reference to Franz Beckenbauer, who was nicknamed “Der Kaiser”. He made his debut for the side on 4 August 1995, at the beginning of the new

season. During the 1996-97 season despite his efforts and scoring 10 goals, the team got relegated.

Later the footballer joined

. He made his debut for the team in the seventh match of the 1997–98 Bundesliga season, away to Karlsruhe, as a substitute in the last five minutes. On 28 March 1998, Ballack made his first team debut in a game over Bayer Leverkusen. He made a great performance and Kaiserslautern became the first-ever newly promoted team to lift the Bundesliga title. In the next season Ballack became one of the most important players in the team.

Big break

On July 1999, the footballer joined Bayer Leverkusen while he was 22 years old for an estimated fee of €4 million. It was with

that the talented footballer climbed up the ladder to glory and made his way to the top. He was given an attacking role in the midfield and made a lot of wonders. His role in the team was vital and he managed to score 27 goals in the league and nine in Europe over the course of his three seasons at the club. Back in 2000, in a game over SpVgg Unterhaching Leverkusen needed a draw to win the Bundesliga title.

However, Ballack scored an own goal and led the team to a 0-2 heavy defeat. Bayern Munich earned the title by a 3–1 victory over Werder Bremen. Following their heavy defeat, the team also endured three failures which were historical and Bayer Leverkusen was nicknamed “Bayer Neverkusen”. Ballack got to the end of the season with 17 league goals which earned him a nomination into the UEFA.com users' Team of 2002 as well as being named German Footballer of the Year. Find out more details about

Michael Ballack life story

in the following.

Bayern Munich

Ballack showed how gifted he is on the pitch and his performance was praised by pundits. Big clubs like

and

were interested in signing a contract with the player. Finally, Ballack decided to join Bayern Munich and signed a contract worth nearly €13 million in 2002. During his first season Bayern won the Bundesliga with 75 points as well as the DFB-Pokal. Ballack proved himself worthy and grabbed a brace in a win against his former club 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the latter's final. However, in the following season Bayern lost both of Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal titles to Werder Bremen.

During 4 seasons with the club Ballack won three Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal doubles, scoring 44 goals in 107 Bundesliga games. However later his performance went down and he was criticized. Franz Beckenbaue got to the point that he accused Ballack of “saving his strength” for prospective employers after Ballack showed an average performance in the 2006 DFB-Pokal final over Eintracht Frankfurt.

On ZDF television channel Beckenbauer stated: “Ballack is just saving his strength for Chelsea, Sometimes I think to myself, is he playing with us or not? The way he runs around the field has little to do with football. He isn't trying anymore and I was waiting for him to be substituted.” Ballack answered: “It doesn't matter what he [Beckenbauer] thinks. I'm delighted about the [cup] title, which is the third in four years. All that matters is we have won, but if Der Kaiser says that..." he added with a smile. Find out further details about

Michael Ballack biography

in the following.

Chelsea

On May 2006, Ballack joined the English Premier League club Chelsea while there were rumors that other big clubs like

, Real Madrid, Internazionale and

were interested to have him on board but Ballack preferred to sign with Chelsea. However shortly after his arrival at the club he declared that he was thinking about leaving Chelsea. The footballer debuted for the blues in a practice match at UCLA's intramural football pitch. Ballack always preferred the number 13 jersey and Chelsea took the number 13 shirt from their player Gallas and gave it to the German midfielder. This move made Gallas upset and felt that he was underappreciated.

On 27 August 2006, he made his Premier League debut for the club in a game over Blackburn Rovers. Ballack scored his first goal on 12 September on his Champions League debut over Werder Bremen. Ballack received the first red card of his career for making a move on Mohamed Sissoko in a 1-0 victory against Liverpool on 17 September 2006. Ballack’s first premier League goal came in a game over Portsmouth on 21 October 2006. He also scored his first FA Cup goals on 15 April 2007, in the semi-final against Blackburn. This goal led to Chelsea progressing into the FA Cup final.

Captain of The Blues  

The Chelsea top scorer continued with great performance and made a lot of wonders for his team. Ballack reached his 50th game with Chelsea in a 2-1 victory over

in which he scored the winning goal for the blues. The footballer maintained his style and went on to score further vital goals. On 26 April 2008, he scored a header and a penalty to give the blues their 2-1 victory against Manchester United. He was named man of the match for his remarkable performance.

Return to Bayer Leverkusen

On 25 June 2010, the midfielder returned to his former club Bayer Leverkusen and signed a two-year contract. On 19 August 2010, he scored the first goal for the club in a 3-0 victory over Tavriya Simferopol in the UEFA Europa League qualifiers. In 2010, the footballer sustained a shin injury during a Bundesliga match against Hannover 96. Bayer Leverkusen declared that Ballack would not play due to his injury. On 20 February 2011, the footballer got recovered and came back and replaced Simon Rolfes in a 4-2 victory over VfB Stuttgart. Ballack scored his second Europa League goal in a 2-0 win over Metalist Kharkiv.

International

Aside from Ballack’s club career the footballer also made lot of wonders on international level. He debuted for Germany national under-21 team against

following his contract with Chemnitzer FC. After his move to 1. FC Kaiserslautern, senior team coach Berti Vogts called him up to join the squad. During the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Ballack scored in the games against the United States and

during the knockout rounds as Germany reached the final. Later he was booked for a tactical foul during the semi-final match over South Korea and he was ruled out for the final which Germany was defeated 2-0 by Brazil.

Following Euro 2004, Ballack took over from Oliver Kahn and became the captain. Ballack managed to score three goals which were all penalties during the 2005 Confederations Cup, in which Germany were eliminated by Brazil in the semifinals. The gifted footballer was named Man of the Match in the games against Ecuador and Argentina, and was included in FIFA's World Cup All Star Team for a second consecutive time. In the first game of Euro 2008 over Poland, Ballack captained the team. He showcased his great features and proved himself to be valuable on the midfield.

Late Years On International Level

During the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, Ballack scored four goals however he missed the 2010 World Cup due to his ankle injury from a foul by Portsmouth's

in the 2009-10 FA Cup final. In the absence of Ballack, young midfielders like

, Thomas Müller, and Mesut Özil showcased their talents. Former German captain Lothar Matthäus stated that Ballack's absence provided the chance for these young players to blossom.

Since the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, Ballack hasn’t receive any invitation to international games. It was reported that Germany coach Joachim Löw was waiting for Ballack to announce his retirement. Despite numerous injuries Ballack sustained with Bayer Leverkusen he refused to give up. On June 16, 2011 it was declared that the former midfielder will not be a part of national team anymore. The German Football Association (DFB) invited him to two friendlies in order to reach 100 games for Germany, which he refused, accusing Löw of disrespecting him ever since his injury and calling the invitation to compete in another two games for Germany a “farce”.

Retirement

On 2 October 2012, Ballack officially announced his retirement from football. On 5 June 2013, he played a farewell match at Leipzig’s Red Bull Arena. First Ballack scored two goals in the first half of the game and scored his third goal and the winner in the second half for the World XI.

The teams were coached by Ballack's former Chelsea coach José Mourinho and his former national team coach Rudi Völler. Following the match Ballack stated in an interview: “It was a terrific career for me. I am very, very thankful. Football is very special. The fans make it very special. We are just players, without you there is no voice and without you there is no passion.” Find out more details about

Michael Ballack biography

in the following.

Style of Play 

Ballack is highly regarded as one of the most complete and versatile midfielders of his time. Due to his physical shape and his tall figure the former footballer was able to perform aerial movements and that made him a dangerous opponent and a threat to the net. On a technical level, he was an aggressive player with a powerful physic and commanding character.

The quality and intelligence of Ballack's game was extremely high. It might be interesting to know that in his early days Ballack was a sweeper but later when he reached agreement with Leverkusen in 1999, then-coach Christoph Daum transferred him to the midfield. In 2011, Joachim Löw praised Ballack and described him as player who “exudes authority and calm on the pitch”.

Reception

According to

Michael Ballack bio

he is among the top scorers in Germany and considered as one of the best midfielders of his generation. Ballack wore the number 13 jersey for every team he played except for 1. FC Kaiserslautern. He was praised by Pelé as one of FIFA's 100 Greatest Living Players and also 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 known for his passing range, powerful shot, physical strength and commanding presence in midfield. Internationally, Ballack has played in the UEFA European Football Championship in 2000, 2004 and 2008, and the FIFA World Cup in 2002 and 2006. Ballack scored consecutive game-winning goals in the quarter-final and semi-final and helped his country the 2002 World Cup final and led his team to the semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup and the Euro 2008 final.

Goal Celebration

Michael Ballack has his own style when it comes to goal celebration. He simply puts his fists in the air and screams. In World Cup, one of the most memorable goal celebrations of all time belongs to the German footballer. During the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Ballack scored in a game against South Korea during the knockout rounds as Germany reached the final. It was a memorable goal as he pulled his shirt over his face and fell to his knees to scream in absolute delight. Who said the Germans don’t show their emotions?

Michael Ballack Outside Football

Based on

Michael Ballack date of birth

his zodiac sign is Libra. Just with a quick look at Ballack’s Instagram page you will know that the former captain of the national team is an outdoor person who loves to hang out with his friends and his old teammates. Find out details about Michael Ballack personal life in the following.

Michael Ballack Personal Life

On 14 July 2008, Ballack tied the knot with his longtime sweetheart Simone Lambe. Ballack met her in a café and he instantly fell in love with her. The couple were dating for ten years before getting married. Find out details about Michael Ballack personal life in the following.

Family Children and Relationships

The couple welcomed their firstborn child in 2001 and named their son Louis. They had two other kids together Emilio born in 2002 and Jordi born in 2005. However, just four years after their marriage the couple's relationship took another turn and they got divorced. Simone moved back to Starnberg with her sons.

Since 2015, the former footballer has been in a relationship with Natacha Tannous who is a Parisian with Lebanese roots. Natacha has made a great career for herself in banking. She used to be the Goldman Sachs regional director which is a famous investment company around the world. Find out more details of the footballer’s personal life in the following.

Philanthropy

As we mentioned before Ballack played his official farewell game on 5 June. The game was a charity event and was attended by more than 45k fans. The proceeds of the charity game were donated to football youth work as well HIV awareness and prevention work.

Michael Ballack religion

is Christian and he also acknowledged the natural flood disaster in his home region, and donated 100k euros to help support the rebuilding of the area.

Legal issues

In 2012, Ballack faced a two-year driving ban and an £8,000 fine for doing 131mph in his four-wheel-drive Audi U7 on a Spanish motorway near the resort town of Trujillo on Oct 17. His attorney requested that the fine be cut to £800 because Ballack had no income since he was released by Bayer Leverkusen in the summer. Stay tuned for more details about Michael Ballack biography

Michael Ballack Career Statistics

Now let’s get into the details of Michael Ballack career statistics.

Club

Ballack started his career at Chemnitzer FC. In the first division he appeared in 51 games and scored 10 goals. While he was at 1. FC Kaiserslautern he featured in 57 matches along with 4 goals. Ballack made his breakthrough while he was at Bayer Leverkusen, showcasing his talents in 110 games and scoring 37 goals. With Bayern Munich he featured in 157 games and scored 62 goals. As for Chelsea he made 166 appearances and scored 25 goals for the blues.

International

On international level Ballack made 98 appearances while scoring 42 goals for

.

Managerial Career

Following Ballack's retirement there were speculations that he would pursue his career via management. In an interview when he was asked about management and either he has any plans for it Ballack answered: “I’m still thinking about it after having spoken to a lot of managers throughout my career, but it’s a very different job and life.”

He added: “I’ve always reflected on the game. To pass on your ideas and have an influence on a team really interests me. Maybe next year I’ll become a manager. I’m thinking about starting to get my coaching badges next year.” However, Ballack never became a manager during his career. During Euro 2012, the 2014

, and Euro 2016, the former footballer worked as a studio analyst for ESPN, often alongside Alexi Lalas.

Michael Ballack Honors

• UEFA Club Midfielder of the Year: 2002

• UEFA Team of the Year: 2002

• ESM Team of the Year: 2001–02

• Footballer of the Year (Germany): 2002, 2003, 2005; runner-up 2008

• kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2005–06

• kicker Man of the Year: 2002

• FIFA World Cup All-star team: 2002, 2006

• FIFA XI: 2002

• UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2004, 2008

• Bayer Leverkusen Squad of the Century

• FIFA 100

• FIFA Confederations Cup Silver Shoe Winner: 2005

• Goal of the Year (Germany): 2008

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