Michael Ballack Leaves Football.

Michael Ballack: a nearly man or an undisputed midfield genius?

The former Chelsea and Germany midfielder says farewell to football in Leipzig on Wednesday – but what will his legacy be?

I think the above newspaper caption leaves exaggerated margins in either direction. However, the direction ending in 'nearly man' is so very wrong and deserves scant respect, for Michael Ballack was, is, and remains a much more deserving footballer than silly cliches like this.

He was a great player - genius is used too often for many players, so no. However, many footballers can be called nearly men, but again, he was light years then this. He was certainly top bracket among midfield players and did great service for his country Germany too. As a Chelsea player he was splendid, as he was for other clubs too.

He was good enough to play in the top clubs of the world and an International for one of the world's most successful football nations. I would assume that any footballer's legacy speaks for itself on such unquestionable merit.