On today’s episode we are joined by one of the greats of German Football. Born in East Germany at a time of upheaval and division, Michael Ballack went on to become a legend for his country, making 98 appearances and scoring 42 goals.
Through playing street football at an early age, Ballack found his love for the game and knew he wanted to become a pro. He came to prominence at Kaiserslautern and was part of the side that did the unthinkable by winning the Bundesliga in 1997. His impressive performances earned him a move to Bayer Leverkusen and individually he continued to excel, as well as his stock amongst Europe’s elite. Collectively however, they failed to win any silverware following two consecutive years of falling at the last hurdle. Ballack would rectify this though, by joining the Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich and win multiple titles and cups.
Still eager for more success and new challenges, he swapped Munich for London, joining Abrahmovic’s revolution at Chelsea in 2006, to play under Jose Mourinho. He’d go on to win the premier league and a series of cups before heading back to Leverkusen in 2010, where he’d finish his career.
Michael joins the show and talks about his football journey, opening up on his time at Leverkusen, the exceptionally high standards at Bayern Munich and playing under Jose Mourinho. He also talks about how Xabi Alonso has brought a winning mentality to Leverkusen and how he’s transformed the club, whilst giving his honest opinion on the German National Side and their realistic prospects for the Euros.
#upfront #ballack #bayernmunich
00:00 Introduction to Michael Ballack
00:50 Podcast starts
01:14 Ballack’s background
05:53 Street football vs organised football
10:33 FC Kaiserslautern
13:06 Bayer Leverkusen
22:15 Bayer Leverkusen in 2024
25:21 The 50+1 Rule
30:00 Xabi Alonso
34:11 Bayern Munich
41:33 Chelsea & José Mourinho
54:20 German National Team
01:00:38 Another English golden generation?