On this day, in 1976, Michael Ballack was born in Gorlitz, Germany.

He is a historic midfielder for the German national team, known for wearing the number '13' on his jersey and his great technical elegance in handling the ball.

He began his career in his hometown of Chemnitz, with the team BSG Motor Karl-Marx-Stadt. From there, he moved to Kaiserlautern where he won his first championship, and his great talent quickly brought him to Bayer Leverkusen.

With Bayer Leverkusen, he is remembered more for his sorrows than for the glories he could conquer, as he lost many titles at both local and international levels.

Despite the results with Leverkusen, Ballack's quality was never questioned. He soon attracted the interest of Bayern Munich, where he signed in 2002 and won three league and cup titles.

After leaving his mark and becoming a figure at Bayern, Ballack moved to Russian tycoon Roman Abramovich's spectacular project with Chelsea under José Mourinho. He won three cups with 'the Blues'.

Two great disappointments awaited the experienced player, who in 2008 succumbed in two vital finals for his career: the UEFA Champions League and the European Championship against Manchester United and Spain, respectively.

He returned once again to Leverkusen in 2010, where he played for 2 more years and played his last professional game against Nuremberg on May 5, 2012.

He played 98 matches and scored 42 goals for the German national team.

Relevant information:

He was named the best footballer in Germany for three consecutive years (2002, 2003, and 2005), surpassing players like Müller, Klinsmann, and Lothar Matthaus.