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And he, he is virtually come back Home, Michael Ballack, if one may say so. You was a star as a footballer
but how does is look with your qualities as a dancer?
We'll see. I've skipped the dance school.
Completely?
Yes completely.
I was young and inexperienced so you don't know what you missed later.
Today I think-
I would rather have gone.
A good tip could be to look for a lady who can lead. That could be the best.
Have you already find some lady? You are single now, who is the lady
today
who can hope to
dance with you?
If necessary I dance with my mom
she is also here
or not so I have no lady.
The not won't be possible Mr Ballack because I have heard many ladies
who desperately want to dance with you so you needto be
prepared to
be asked.
Ok then I'll give my best
Thank you. we wish you a good dance, much pleasure and
a wunderful evening Thank you. Today Michael Ballack is in Dresden
but yesterday he was in his old home in saxony
in Chemnitz
and this was a very special visit for him and there we
accoupanied him exclusively with the camara.
A world star come home and has a very special aim.
I had not been here for ages 'm curious how it looks.
Once more
touch this goalpost, once more stand on this lawn, this was and is Michael
Ballacks first football field. Here
he learnd almost everything what would make him a world star
30 years ago.
I think I've scord many goals. I think 17
goals in one play
I can remember because my grandpa
gave me some Pfennig for every goal and then of course I was especially motivated.
Not only on his first soccer field depends Michael Ballck. He also have contact to many
old friends for example
Frank Bauer with him he played many years or
Thomas Alexander a real kindergarten friend
and of course
his first coach
Steffen Hänisch
who is incredubly proud
of his model boy. 57 goals but not in one play but in one
season,
You must not say
After the football is in front of the billiard ball
so all will Michael Ballack not say goodby to the round into the square
and otherwise
he has not changed say those who know him
We even was
very naughty and have done much nonsense. We was recently at a class reunion were the
class theacher said that Micha and I were the worst.
It was funny so we've senn a lot also in the kindergarten
You look forward to when we meet again after many years and it's just fun because
he has remained so as he really is and it's just fun to converse with him.
And somerhing has not changed
Michael Ballack's irrepressible will to win whether billiards or
table tennis
match is always also at home with friends.
Michael Ballack ladies and gentlemen he is here
and he is honored today
and I know many ladies would
exchanges with "Mom" and dance with Michael Ballack.
Let's see who he choose today.
One returns to his home to Dresden
and who could appreciate him better then the also legendary Waldemar
Hartmann better known
Waldi.
Ladies and gentlemen
of course help me with this laudatio
that I as an extremly critical
and investigative reporter could accompany
the professional career
from beginning
to the end and the unworthy show
at the end of his national team
career.
Dear
Michael
I think that
the taboo word of the year 2012
"victim abo"
connects us.
He has itin the DFB (German Football Association) and I had it at ARD (working pool of the broadcasting corporations of the Federal Republic of Germany)
But you get no medal for it.
You get it for example
for years of use as an
UN-ambassador against AIDS
without to shout it frpm the rooftops.
And you get the medal for exceptional performances and capabilities
witch he was shown
over an impressive time as a footballer an with
whom he has
enchanted
the football fans
A few numbers
complacent?
In 98 international matches he scored as the goal- threatening midfielder of the
world 42 goals.
With the German national team he was
vice world champion and vice european champion.
He hold the cup of rhe German champion 4 times
with the FC Bayern Munich and the 1.FC Kaiserslautern to that 3 times
the DFB-Cup.
With the FC Chelsea he was English champion
and got 3 times
the FA-Cup.
Only a great international tournament
was denied
him.
That guessed already for more than 190 years the Austrian
composer Franz Schubert and wrote for him
"The Unfinished" (Symphony)
Dear Michael maybe it was the fact
that you have stuck to your back number 13
it applies everywhere in Germany as unlucky number, on the plane
there is no row 13,
maybe the 7 would have been better.
He was an accomplished footballer.
Even as a child he shot both
with an artist's name.
In Karl-Marx-Stadt it was at the time "We go to kick around with "Balle"."
That almost still can go wrong
at a young age he was measured at a sports medical
examination.
Only on place 9 appeared the scientists the fact well enough
maybe footballer.
Oh science you're
wrong so often.
Balle was a great leader, a word that exists no longer in the new German
"Jogi-(Joachim Löw, Coach of the German national team) football language, it's even banned.
Now there are low hierarchies asked.
Ladies and Gentlemen
This wonderful orchestrs here in the Semperoper,
the Saxon State Orchestra
plays perfectly if all play together
yet they have a lead violin
and a maestro.
Especially in a team
you need somebody who take the lead.
Michael Ballack was the maestro and this he was always. In Leverkusen they called him on the basis of
Herbert von Karajan
"The Herbert"
His first professional coach even said Michael Ballack reminded him of Franz Beckenbauer.
Now even if he had become emperor
then we maybe had a bit exaggerated today.
He certainly was
the last "Capitano" of the German national team.
He was a real leader with a mind of his own and sometimes
uncomfortable
and he was not only the skipper
to exchange the pennant at the toss-up.
Briefly
he is a great of the German football
and that's why we honor him today.
It must be that as a skipper!
The Medal of St George of the SemperOperaball's Dresden goes to
Michael Ballack
First many thanks for
the warm applause and the nice words. Dear Waldi I insisted that you
are staying here
because we share a long time and we share
many hours thus
vocational
and
and I'm
particularly pleased that you gave the speech because I've been
thinking that we share a togetherness
we share a togetherness in fact someone
who had a significant impact on
our career
albeit unconsciously that was Rudi Völler.
Can you remember of your
legendary interview with him
after a international match?! After that I think
you get off your nickname
You get your first advertising contract
for milk I believe.
For me it was similar. Since you
mentioned the back number
I think I was always satisfied with my 13 I always had ab affinity for 13.
When you start playing football as a player
that's all going on in the child's age when one is 7 or 8 when
the first official match be due then the numbers will be distributed as the
coach throws the trikos on the floor then on arguing about it
everybody wants the 10 because that's the number of Netzer (Günther Netzer) , Pelé , Maradonna (Diego Maradonna)
but there is only one.
The 13 did not exists
there were only 1-11 that with the higher
numbers come later
and so this number was later a part of me
indeed unconsciously as I moved
to Leverkusen.
The contract was signed
Dr Michael Becker hast prepared everything and called me
"Micha you can come by to sign the contract."
and then I asked him "What's about the back number?"
Then he said "What?"
I asked "Witch back number did I have?"
He says we need to call Rudi (Rudi Völler) ,
so we called him and he said
"We still have the 2 and the 15."
I said "That does not work
I did not play with the 2 certainly not as an offensive player."
so I asked him what's about the 13 and Rudi said it's being used.
I have to say
he was the last player, last club also Leverkusen with the number 13 witch was
blocked for him so never a player could play with
number 13. There only
ibasketball or hockey in America were numbers are blocked also Bayern
Munich has never
implemented the idea Gerd Müller would maybe get the honor with the 13.
Thankfully not because otherwise I could not get it.
To cut a long story short
Rudi has released the number I was thus ableto play with the number
that's the small togetherness but back to topic
Of course I would like to thank
you very much for the honor. I have played in many beautiful
stadiums
but something here of course is
a very special ambience
in witch I get such a honor
many thanks for it. I greet
all who were outside, we have seen earlier it is raining, it's cold and
there are so many people that's not naturally
so cordial
greetings.
I would like to thank
the jury
who
ckoose me
all attendants who acconpanied me
a life-time or a career long, coaches,
carers
but also doctors and physiotherapists who have
spend essential time with me
and especially my parents.
who are here today
Dear Mom and Dad
you are my
best defenders the best defenders of my life. Many thanks again.
That's actually been
I wish all of you a beautiful evening, a beautiful ball night
and to shake the leg. Beautiful evening.