Michael Ballack was one of the most successful losers in the history of the game. German, he was the main icon of Bayer Neverkusen in 2002, when the Rossoneri were one step away from winning the treble with the DFB Pokal final, the Champions League final and leading the Bundesliga until the end, then incredibly losing all three in a very short time. And then there was the World Cup in Japan and Korea, with Germany who was certainly not among the favorites, but who had reached – perhaps taking advantage of the weakness of the other national teams – all the way to the final against Brazil, losing that too. In short, Ballack seemed like the most Calimero Calimero there could be, given that he was definitely the best player of that year.
29 league games, 17 goals. In total a season with 50 and 23 goals, plus the national team. There is a reason why Bayern Munich, accustomed to commanding, bought him for (only) six million euros. Three Bundesliga and three national cups in four years, then he moved to Chelsea after Karl Heinz Rummenigge accused him of pulling his leg back for this very reason.
The 2006 World Cup was the one played at home, but Italy managed to win it. And with the Blues? He is unable to express himself at the levels seen in the Bundesliga, scoring little and falling towards the end of his career. There has never been a European Cup in his palmares, losing even the one in 2008, when Terry slipped just one penalty away from victory. Today Michael Ballack turns 48.