THE RISE AND RISE AND RISE OF A LEGEND... Micheal Ballack's career in Pictures

Micheal Ballack played his testimonial match on Wednesday which was witnessed by most of his ex-colleagues. 

The midfield maestro will go down as one of the greats of German football, leaving behind some unforgettable memories for both club and country.

Sportunes takes a look back at his illustrious career at the top of the game



Ballack began his career at Chemnitzer FC. The Gorlitz native made 15 appearances in the Bundesliga between 1995 and 1997, as well as scoring ten goals in 34 Regional League appearances for the club

He then moved to newly-promoted Bundesliga side FC Kaiserslautern...

..where, aged just 21,he was able to celebrate the Bundesliga title in his first season at the club, making 16 appearances under coach Otto Rehagel

After one more year at Kaiserslautern, Ballack moved to Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the summer of 1999. Over the next three seasons, he went on to score 27 goals in 79 Bundesliga outings. He was twice a Bundesliga runner-up and also part of the side that finished fourth in 2000/01

Ballack was unable to guide his side to trophy success, with die Werkself narrowly beaten 2-1 by Real Madrid in the 2001/02 Champions League final

The midfielder would also have to settle for a silver medal in the German Cup final, after Leverkusen suffered a 4-2 defeat to Schalke 04 in Berlin

As part of the Germany national side, Ballack reached the 2002 World Cup final in Japan and South Korea, scoring the winning goal in the 1-0 semi-final win over South Korea. A yellow card meant he would, however, miss the final against Brazil

Moving to FC Bayern Munich, Ballack finally quenched his thirst for silverware, winning three Bundesliga titles between 2002 and 2006 at the Bavarian club



Alongside Oliver Kahn, Ballack was also part of the Bayern side that twice claimed the domestic double under coach Felix Magath



Germany boss Jurgen Klinsmann made Ballack captain of the national side in 2004, as die Mannschaft prepared to become world champions on home soil in 2006...

...but it wasn't to be, as Germany were eliminated in the semi-finals by Italy

Ballack's next station was Premier League side Chelsea, who would go on to lift their first-ever Premier League title with Jose Mourinho  at the helm

The German enjoyed a memorable stay in west London, winning the FA Cup three times with his new club...

..and winning the Premier League title in 2009/2010

Heartache was never far away, though, as the Chelsea No.13 could only manage another runners-up medal in the 2008 Champions League final, following a penalty shoot-out loss to Manchester United

Ballack's stunning free kick booked Germany's place in the last eight of the 2008 European Championships in Austria and Switzerland...

...but it was another case of what might have been, as a solitary strike from Spain's Fernando Torres
ensured another near miss for the Germany skipper

Ballack's final competitive outing at Chelsea, in the FA Cup final against Portsmouth, reached a heart-wrenching conclusion after a reckless Kevin-Prince Boateng challenge left the midfielder writhing in agony

Germany's captain spent the next two months on crutches, which forced Germany coach Joachim Low to make plans for the World Cup in South Africa without his leading figure

Ballack travelled to South Africa to support his team-mates, but after their surprise third-placed finish, Low looked towards a future that no longer had place for the former captain. Despite making 98 appearances for his country, Ballack's national career ended on a sour note

The then 34-year-old returned to Leverkusen after four years at Chelsea, but injury hampered his playing time at his former haunt

After two more years in which Ballack scored twice in 35 Bundesliga appearances, the German midfielder bowed out of the Bundesliga in Leverkusen's final game of the 2011/12 season against 1. FC Nuremberg. In total, he made 267 appearances in Germany's top division, scoring 77 times

"I am now looking forward to the next chapter in my life and would like to thank my family and all the amazing people who have supported me, pushed me and accompanied me," said a grateful Ballack