Michael Ballack

Michael Ballack is a true legend of German football, and the top goal scorer in the history of the German international team. Ballack, who has donned the Number 13 shirt at almost all of his clubs, was named by Pele as one of FIFA’s 100 greatest living players, and won the German footballer of the year award 3 times. He has played for some of the biggest teams in Europe, including Bayern Munich and Chelsea.

Born in Görlitz, a town in former East Germany, Ballack began his career playing for his local club, Chemnitzer FC, and made his debut for Germany’s U21 side in 1996. His stand-out performances resulted in a transfer to 1. FC Kaiserslautern in 1997, and played regularly in the first team from the 1998-99 season.

His first big move was to Bayer Leverkusen for a sum of 4.1 million Euros in 1999, where he enjoyed several successful seasons before moving to Bayern Munich for an impressive 12.9 million Euros. A prolific goal scorer, Ballack scored 44 goals for the side between 2002 and 2006 and helped the team win the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal three times. A move to Chelsea beckoned next for Ballack in 2006, assisting the side to win the FA Cup, the League and Cup double and helped them reach their first Champion’s League final.
Ballack played 98 times for the German national team, appearing in two FIFA World Cups and three UEFA European Championships. Recognising his leadership skills, Jürgen Klinsmann made Ballack captain of the German National Team in 2004.