Former Germany captain Ballack retires
Reuters - Tuesday 02 October 2012, 15:59
Former
Germany captain Michael Ballack quietly announced his retirement at the
age of 36 on Tuesday, ending a career in which he played for top clubs
Bayern Munich and Chelsea and helped his country reach the 2002 World
Cup final.
Ballack, who
returned to Bayer Leverkusen in 2010 but was left without a contract
after last season, had been linked with a possible move to the United
States or Australia.
"At the
age of 36 I can look back at a long and wonderful time in professional
football which I did not dare dream of as a child," he said in a brief
statement issued through his lawyers.
"It
was a privilege to have worked with top coaches and fantastic team-mates. Obviously I will miss playing in front of 80,000 people or
scoring a goal."
It was a low
profile exit for one of the best German players of his generation whose
leadership abilities and passion for the game saw him stand out for
every club he played.
"A
great footballer, known around the world, is ending his career," said
Germany coach Joachim Low, who had repeated run-ins with the player
over the years.
"I got to
know and appreciate Michael as a pillar in the national team and a very
good player with outstanding qualities. On the pitch he radiated
dominance."
A strong physical
presence in midfield with a powerful shot, Ballack, who won 98 caps and
scored 42 goals for Germany, got his breakthrough at Kaiserslautern and
in 1998 helped them win the Bundesliga title, the first promoted team
to do so.
"Michael Ballack
was an exceptional player who contributed greatly to lifting the
position of the DFB [German football association] and German football as
a whole," said DFB President Wolfgang Niersbach.
A
three-year spell at Bayer Leverkusen ended in 2002 with the team
imploding and failing to win the Bundesliga after a Ballack own goal on
the final matchday contributed to a surprise defeat to Unterhaching that
cost them the league title.
The
team also lost that year's Champions League final to Real Madrid and to
Schalke 04 in the German Cup final in a season that earned them the
nickname "Neverkusen".
Ballack
then led Germany to the World Cup final against Brazil but the
midfielder was suspended for the match which the South Americans won
2-0.
Ballack moved to Bayern
in 2002 winning another three Bundesliga titles and three German Cups
before signing for Chelsea where he stayed until 2010.
He
won domestic titles in England but again tasted defeat when his team
lost the 2008 Champions League final on penalties to Manchester United.
The midfielder then steered Germany to the Euro 2008 final before losing
to Spain.
He was briefly
banned from the national team after a post-tournament row with Low but
was reinstated for the 2010 World Cup qualifiers.
An
injury just before the World Cup meant he missed the tournament in
South Africa. Low did not recall him again, triggering a war of words
in which Ballack accused him of lying.
Low
had first stripped him of the captain's armband and then dropped him
from the team, with the federation offering him the chance of a farewell
appearance in a friendly against Brazil in August which the player
instantly declined.
He won his last cap in March 2010 in a 1-0 friendly defeat to Argentina.
Ballack's
return to Leverkusen proved unsuccessful with the player sidelined with
injuries or benched under former coach Robin Dutt.
"The
last few months without football showed me that the time has come to
stop. I now look forward to a new chapter in my life and thank my family
and all the amazing people who brought me forward, accompanied me and
supported me. They all share part of my success," Ballack said.