BALLACK KEMBALI

B uat pertama kalinya Micheal Ballack akan menjejak kakinya semula ke gelanggang StamfordBridge yang pernah mengharumkan namanya di bumi London selepas 4 tahun menyarung jersi Chelsea dan kini beliau menjadi musuh menjelang perlawanan pembukaan tirai kejuaraan Eropah.

Walaubagai manapun beliau belum pasti dapat diturunkan pada perlawanan malam ini sehinggalah sepak mula dimulakan . Ini terletak kepada pengendali Bayer Leverkusen RobinDutt yang akan merencanakan teknikal bagi mengekang asakan singa biru.

Ballack yang kini berusia 34 tahun selepas meninggalkan Chelsea pada tahun 2010 hanya diturunkan dua kali dari lima perlawanan liga di mana bayern Leverkusen berada kedudukan ke empat liga dengan hanya mengumpul tujuh masa sahaja .Tetapi Ballack akan menjadi perisik kepada kelab Jerman itu bagi cuba membuat kejutan di Stamford Bridge.

Ballack kembali ke Stamford Bridge dengan fenomena yang berbeza

'When I first saw the draw I was really happy for me personally and for the club,' Ballack says.

'For me personally it is a very big, very important match, but also for the club it was a very nice draw. I played at Chelsea for four years and it is very nice to be back in London for the first game in the Champions League.

'The presentation is a very nice gesture and it will be a very emotional moment for me tomorrow. There are still a few players there and some who left in the meantime who I am still friends with and whom I am still in touch with, and also a few of the staff.

'When I moved to Chelsea it was a big, big challenge and experience for me at the time to play with so many good players. If I look back I had a very good time. I feel always welcomed by the fans and the club. They treat me always very well and we had success.

'It could have been a few titles more,' he notes, 'we missed a few chances, but we had some successes and I will remember this always and it is a big part of my career.'

Choosing one moment that sticks in his memory more than the others is an impossible task for the former Germany captain, but he can narrow the choice down to three.

'My injury right at the start because in the end I missed seven months and it was quite a difficult period for me.

'The second memory is the Champions League Final with the penalty shoot-out that will haunt all of us for ever.

'The third was winning the League and the Cup in the last year. After trailing to Man United for three years, winning two titles in the last year was great.'