Michael Ballack Bio Send To Friend  

Ballack's arrival as a key player at Chelsea took time to happen, yet he took little time to confirm his potential and class to the Blues.

The German made his name as a classic box-to-box midfielder with Bayer Leverkusen and these attributes earned him the German player of the year award on three occasions (2002, 2003, 2005). He was signed on a free transfer by Chelsea and is now seen as one of Europe's best midfielders.

Beginning his career in 1995, Ballack was given his first professional contract by Chemnitzer FC. Dubbed the 'Little Kaiser' in reference to German legend Franz Beckenbauer, his skills were noticed by decorated German coach Otto Rehhagel and he signed for FC Kaiserslautern in the summer of 1997.

Ballack moved to Bayer Leverkusen for €4.8m, at the age of 22, where he would go on to make his name as one of the best players in Germany.

His development into one of Europe's best midfielders around continued as Leverkusen endured a heartbreaking 2001-02 season, coming second in the Bundesliga again and losing in both the UEFA Champions League final and German Cup final.

He also endured the personal agony of losing the World Cup Final in the same year, although his remarkable season - finishing with 17 league goals from midfield - led to him being voted Germany's Footballer of the Year. Six years later, he suffered similar woes as Germany lost in the final of Euro 2008 to Spain, giving him the reputation of a player who falls short on the biggest stage.

Real Madrid approached the midfielder but he chose to sign instead for German giants Bayern Munich in a €12.9m deal in 2002. Ballack was deployed more defensively in the Munich side, but still popped up with 10 goals as Bayern stormed the to Bundesliga title. He also scored twice in the 3-1 German Cup final win against Kaiserslautern.

In four seasons at Bayern, Ballack won three Bundesliga and German Cup doubles and scored 47 goals in 135 matches and was seen as one of the top players in the league.

However, in 2006, his relationship with Bayern turned sour. Open criticism from general manager Uli Hoeness did not help matters and Ballack made it clear he was looking for a big move when his contract expired in the summer.

He signed for Chelsea on a free transfer before the 2006 World Cup. But Ballack's impact at the Blues was initially negligible and his below par performances were said to be one of the reasons the Blues lost their Premier League crown.

Soon, though, some match-winning performances saw him exalted as perhaps the club's best player, although it wasn't enough to seal a Premier League title win and he also missed out on the Champions League trophy to Manchester United in 2008.

FA Cup wins in 2007 and 2009 have been the midfielder's only source of major silverware since his arrival, but he certainly has the class to add to it, as he has established himself as an important member of the side.