The Thursday interview: Michael Ballack

The Thursday interview: Michael Ballack
01.04.08

Hours after helping the side to our first Champions League final, Michael Ballack joined up with chelseafc.com to discuss the achievement, and how desperate he is to claim a winner's medal.

The German midfielder played an important role in last night's 3-2 victory over Liverpool, supporting Didier Drogba with run after run. Significantly, it was he who was fouled by Sami Hyypia that presented us with a penalty to move ahead in the tie.

Rewarded with a day off by manager Avram Grant today, he took time out with us to reflect on last night's extra time victory over Liverpool, and was in high spirits.

'I feel good, it is the next day and I feel good,' he smiled. 'We had a good, difficult win, and I think it is a great victory for the club, for everybody.

'Reaching a Champions League final was a big, big target for us, now we've done it and it is always a good feeling to be in the final, it is fantastic!'

Looking back at the penalty incident, even at the time he was in no doubt as to whether Roberto Rosetti would award a foul.

'I thought it was a foul, and hoped the referee would give a penalty. It happened very quickly, but he kicked my left foot, and it was the right decision,' the midfielder explained.

Lampard has since received much praise for his courage in taking the penalty, but Ballack was not surprised his team-mate took the responsibility.

'It was a high pressure kick, but you know, Frank is a big man and can score penalties,' he said.

Asked whether he would have taken it had Lampard not played, the response was straightforward. 'I can shoot penalties, so it's no problem. We both have a lot of experience, and I think the best players should take responsibility in these situations. He did it very well.'

As the euphoria of semi-final victory begins to wear off, and thoughts move on to Moscow, Ballack believes the final will be contested by the most deserving teams, but he is taking nothing for granted regarding the result, despite Saturday's 2-1 victory over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.

'With Chelsea we are in good condition, good form, and it is open. The two best teams in Europe at the moment are in the final, and have a head-to-head race in the Premier League.

'It has been a great season for both teams, and we need a good performance on the day, so we will see,' he said.

A runner up with Bayer Leverkusen in the competition in 2002, Ballack is hungry for the silverware that would prove what all Chelsea fans already know - that he is truly one of the greats.

A German player of the year in 2002, 2003 and 2005, Ballack was a Bundesliga winner with Bayern Munich before joining the Blues in the summer of 2006, and he has since added the Carling Cup to his list of honours, but missed out on the FA Cup last season due to injury.

Within a matter of weeks, he may be able to add Premier League and Champions League medals to his collection, and he is fully focused on doing so.

'I think not just for me, it's for everybody who plays, winning titles is a part of your career, you want titles,' he reasoned.

'I have won until now the German league and it is a target for me to win the Champions League. I am 31 now and I want the responsibility to go to a final. I lost the first one and now I want to win! We all want to win.'

The memory of Hampden Park six years ago is still fresh in Ballack's mind. Pipped at the post by Bayern in the league, they were undone in the Champions League final by a Zinedine Zidane volley.

'You can't compare now to then, it is always different. It was six years ago and we were the underdog, but if you get to the final it is always open, it doesn't matter what happened before.

'At Leverkusen we were very good, were in fantastic form, and played a good final, but we lost.'

This time, Ballack, like others in the squad, believes Chelsea have a responsibility to succeed. This is a word that seems particularly relevant to him at the moment, after Saturday's nerveless penalty against United, and the heated discussions with Didier Drogba over who should be on free-kick duty.

'Yeah of course, I feel good, but everybody wants to do something for the team, everybody takes responsibility. It's better when you want to take than things when nobody wants to!

'We shared the free-kicks and I went close with a shot last night, it was no big thing. It is done and we will speak in the next games as well so if we get a free-kick, I am sure somebody will take it!'

Set piece duties are also an important part of Ballack's game for his national side, and the Germany captain may even be able to claim a third piece of silverware in the summer, as Euro 2008 approaches.

For now though, he is content to be concentrating on Chelsea action, and is ignoring the possibility of a personal treble.

'I could do, but there a lot of players that can win each of these, playing for Man United or for Chelsea. I am one of these of course but it is not on my mind,' he confirmed.

'I am focused on the games with Chelsea, and only when the season is done will I concentrate on the European Cup with the national team.

'It is a long, long season and we work very hard in a difficult season with a lot of injuries, me too, and it is not the time to think now on the European Championships.

'We are so close to winning a title and that is much more important now.'

Source:
http://www.chelseafc.com/xxchelsea180706/index.html#/page/ArchiveNews/list_2210603_0