Back to the Bundesliga
June 25, 2010
Michael Ballack, the Chelsea midfielder and former captain of the German soccer team, is to return to familiar grounds in his native Germany. The 33-year-old has signed a two-year contract with Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen, where he also played from 1999-2002.
After English club Chelsea, who won both the premiership and the FA Cup last season, did not renew Ballack's contract after four years, he received offers from German clubs Wolfsburg and Hamburg as well as English clubs Liverpool and Tottenham. There were also reports of offers from other European clubs.
World Cup woes
Ballack was set to take the captain's armband for Germany in the World Cup in South Africa, but had to hand it to teammate Phillip Lahm after he injured his ankle in the FA Cup final at the end of May.
He has won 98 caps for Germany and has also played for Bayern Munich and Kaiserslautern.
Author: Nicole Goebel
Editor: Rob Turner