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Michael Ballack Profile |
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Birth Date: September 26, 1976
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Birth Place: Görlitz, Germany
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Birth Name: Michael Ballack
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Height: 6'3"
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Biography |
Michael Ballack (born September 26, 1976 in Görlitz, East
Germany) is a German football player.
He is the current captain of the German national team, and
plays club football for Chelsea F.C. in the English FA
Premier League.
Known for being a versatile and well-conditioned player,
equally comfortable in attack and defence, Ballack is tall,
which makes him good at aerial battles. He made his name as
a classic box-to-box midfielder with Bayer Leverkusen, where
he operated as the central midfielder, taking on both
defensive and attacking responsibilities. Later in his
career, at FC Bayern Munich, under the guidance of Ottmar
Hitzfeld and Felix Magath, Ballack excelled in a deeper
role, where he went forward less often and instead
concentrated on protecting the back four and distributing
the ball. However, he remained a box-to-box midfielder for
the German national team.
He is capable with both his left and right foot, as well as
in the air. These attributes earned him the German player of
the year award on three occasions (2002, 2003, 2005). He is
one of Germany's leading sports icons of recent times. Pele
named Ballack among the worlds greatest 125 living
footballers in FIFA's 2004 FIFA 100
In 2004, then national team coach Jürgen Klinsmann elected
Ballack as captain. Following Germany's third place finish
in the World Cup in summer 2006, the new Germany head coach
Joachim Löw chose to keep Ballack as his national team
captain. Ballack has worn the number 13 shirt for every club
that he has played for, as well as the German national team.
Ballack and his partner Simone Lambe have three children:
Louis (born August 16, 2001), Emilio (September 19, 2002),
and Jordi (born March 17, 2005). |
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Other Information |
German soccer player. He has played for Chemnitzer FC
(1995-1997), 1.FC Kaiserslautern (1997-1999), Bayer
Leverkusen (1999-2002) and Bayern Munich (2002-2006) so far.
In 2006, he agreed to join Chelsea in the English Premier
League.
Won the German Championship four times (1998,2003,2005,2006)
and the German Cup three times (2003,2005,2006)
Selected in FIFA's 100 Greatest Living Players of All Time.
Has three sons with longtime companion Simone Lambe: Louis
(b. 16 August 2001), Emilio (b. 19 September 2002) and Jordi
(b. 17 March 2005).
Has played 63 times (29 goals) for Germany's national team
until June 2006. He played for his country in the 2002 and
2006 FIFA World Cups.
Son Louis, born August 16, 2001.
Son Emilio, born September 19, 2002.
Son Jordi, born March 17, 2005. |
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