Michael Ballack had size, power, skill and goals. What he lacked was luck in finals, and he lacked it on a scale few great players have known.
Three finals, three defeats
- The 2002 World Cup Final, which he missed through suspension
- The 2002 Champions League Final
- The 2008 Champions League Final
Ballack reached all three and lost all three. He finished runner-up in the World Cup, the Champions League and the Euros, which makes him the unluckiest great player on this list.
The rest of his career was kinder. At Bayern Munich he was the driving force behind three Bundesliga titles, in 2003, 2005 and 2006. At Chelsea he finally added the Premier League and the FA Cup to the collection. He was named German Footballer of the Year three times and was the most dominant German midfielder of his era.
For his country he scored 42 goals in 98 appearances, a return most forwards would happily take. He could score from anywhere, control any midfield and lead any team.
The trophies did not always follow. The talent was never in doubt, and he remains the best German midfielder of the 2000s.
Tomorrow: number 21.
