Michael Ballack and the day he sacrificed his presence in the 2002 Korea-Japan final for Germany

michael ballackwho was known as ‘Young Beckenbauer’, dreamed that Germany reach the World Cup final Korea-Japan 2002 and he got it, but he couldn’t play it. A necessary foul that he made to the Korean Chun-soo Lee prevented him from being in the final, the seventh for the German team, which was played in Yokohama.

“This is a stupid situation because my dream was to play the final, but I won’t be in it,” he said. ballack, then 25 years old, the soccer soul of the Germans. “It may be a good omen that I don’t play,” he said before the 2-0 loss to Brazil.

ballack In Seoul, he lived an incredible five minutes in the match against the hosts South Korea: in minute 71 the referee, the Swiss Urs Meier, showed him a yellow card and in minute 75 he scored the goal that is worth a final.

The new ‘Kaiser’ must have felt joy and sadness at the same time, but these were not moments to regret the foul, later described by his coach, Rudi Voeller, as “absolutely necessary” to solve a mistake by Torsten Frings.

“My first thoughts are of bitterness,” said a sorrowful ballack at the end of the match, but “I am very happy that my teammates are in the final”.

It was a pity for German interests that ballack He did not play in the final after sacrificing himself for the team during the World Cup without being at his best due to the same muscular problems, at the end of which he needed painkillers to alleviate the pain in his right foot.

ballack It was Germany’s great hope to win what would have been its fourth world title, but its loss raised many questions about the possibilities of a gray but tremendously effective team when it came to results: it had won the round of 16, the quarterfinals and the semifinal by a goal to nil.

Own ballack, who closed a brilliant season, admitted it: “In the world, very few would have bet a lot of money on Germany’s arrival in the final.” The midfielder was decisive in the difficult qualifying phase -Germany had to play a playoff against Ukraine-, with six goals, and was also key for Bayer Leverkusen to reach the Glasgow final of the Champions League against Real Madrid.

In it he met an inspired Zinedine Zidane, who led Real Madrid, with a superb goal in the 2-1 victory, to their ninth European Cup. The season that turned ballack in the great player who already pointed out when he signed his first professional contract, at the age of 14, with Chemnitzer, after passing through the East German “factory”, the Karl Marx Stadt.

Nicknamed the “young Kaiser”, for his vision of the game, handling of both legs and shooting, which resembled Franz Beckenbauer, ballack He was mistreated by critics, who attributed a poor fighting ability and censored his “star” attitude.

However, he has had no qualms about pointing to Oliver Kahn as the “true leader” of the German team, in response to statements by former captain Franz Beckenbauer who questioned him after the first phase draw with Ireland (1-1). .

But kahn, who showed off his spectacular way of managing the goal at that World Cup, is reluctant to admit leadership and defends the team concept more. “There are no stars here,” he said.

the goalkeeper of bayern gave as an example what ballack He did against South Korea: “He had to risk receiving a yellow card for the good of the team. This is a good example of how our team works.”

(Source: EFE)