Ask: Mr. Ballack, who will be German champion?
Michael Ballack: I hope that Bayer Leverkusen continues to be in top form so that the championship fight remains exciting. I believe that Leipzig are not yet a serious candidate for the title after giving up points against Bochum and Mainz. I don’t see Dortmund as a contender either – at least after the 2-1 defeat in Stuttgart. That’s why the Bundesliga can be happy that Leverkusen is playing so well. Nevertheless, FC Bayern must be mentioned first.
Ask: Why?
Ballack: Bayern are not yet in top form – but the gap to Leverkusen is only two points. For them it is normal when public pressure and expectations are high. The Leverkusen team is now increasingly confronted with these factors, especially from outside. That can be annoying. These are more tests for them.
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Ask: Does Leverkusen have the best coach in the Bundesliga in Xabi Alonso?
Ballack: He took over Leverkusen at the beginning of October 2022, when the club was second to last in the table. His record since then has been outstanding with an average of 2.05 points. He is currently performing best, so I would say: Xabi Alonso is the coach of the hour.
Ask: Will Alonso also be one for Bayern in the future?
Ballack: When you’re so successful and you look at your history as a player (Real Madrid, FC Liverpool, FC Bayern, among others, the editorial team), he is certainly a candidate for the best club in Germany at some point – but also for other top European clubs. Real Madrid are said to have him on their list if Carlo Ancelotti leaves after the season.
Ask: Florian Wirtz particularly stands out in Leverkusen. Should Bayern sign him after the season?
Ballack: Florian Wirtz is only 20 years old, and in my opinion he needs another year or two to mature even more. And with his style of play in Leverkusen he has outstanding qualifications. There the coach and the team rely on him. The pressure there is not as great as at Bayern, for example. And what I think he also brings with him – in contrast to top players like Kai Havertz and Leroy Sané: a different body language, he seems more robust and emotional to me, and has a touch more aggressiveness in his game. If he stays healthy and his development continues like this…
Ask: What happens then?
Ballack: … Wirtz will be able to choose the top clubs in Europe. And as far as Bayern are concerned: A lot of it depends on what they are planning with Jamal Musiala and how the player himself sees his future. Because Wirtz will one day also be a major transfer economically. Then questions arise: Do you absolutely need him in the end – especially if Musiala should extend? Or do you spend the money on a player to fill another key position?
Ask: FC Bayern dug deep into their pockets to get Harry Kane. The transfer fee to Tottenham alone was around 100 million euros.
Ballack: The transfer is a complete hit. I was positive about it from the start, even if it was viewed critically by others. Of course it was a very high investment, but just how FC Bayern is perceived even more abroad and the additional focus it gets is priceless. And it was clear that Harry Kane would take a sporting approach.
Ask: For what reason?
Ballack: He has better teammates at Bayern than at Tottenham – and he already had a top hit rate there. That’s why he couldn’t get any worse. In Munich he impressively shows what a world-class player he is.
Ask: Honorary President Uli Hoeneß has already counted Thomas Tuchel twice this season. How long will things go well between Bayern and their coach?
Ballack: This has always happened at Bayern between coaches and the bosses. Thomas Tuchel knows exactly what he is doing. He is intelligent, he knows how to express himself very well. Bayern knew before he signed him that he wasn’t an easy guy. And from his point of view it is understandable that he demanded a six for the midfield, for example. Of course he finds an excellent squad at Bayern.
Ask: But?
Ballack: He identified one or two construction sites and communicated this clearly. Maybe he goes overboard with the frequency every now and then, but FC Bayern will be able to cope with that. The club knows which coach it has brought in. On the other hand, it doesn’t mean that Bayern has to fulfill Tuchel’s every wish. And those responsible are also there to charmingly explain to the employees who is responsible for which area of responsibility (grins). That’s why I don’t see any problems at the moment. And as long as the team plays like it did in Dortmund (4-0 win, the editors), everything is fine.
Ask: Did Tuchel dismantle Joshua Kimmich – who sees himself as a six – because he wanted a new central midfielder?
Ballack: Tuchel is accused of denying Joshua Kimmich the class for the position. In my opinion, he doesn’t have that. He just wanted to point out that they needed a defensively strong six. What is striking is that Leon Goretzka plays further forward in midfield.
Ask: And Kimmich as the sixth man behind him.
Ballack: But his style of play is to have a lot of possession and also to go into spaces with the ball to drive the game forward. If Kimmich then loses the ball, there is no protection. This distribution of tasks in midfield is better with a six that focuses primarily on defense.
Ask: You recently said that in your eyes, Kimmich is world-class as a right-back, not as a midfielder.
Ballack: He grew up in the right-back position and I really liked his whole personality: his dynamic style of play. In the six position – which is very important – he often seems very stubborn to me. You get the impression: He wants too much. He lacks that carefree attitude that he had as a right-back.
Ask: Bayern are already out of the DFB Cup. What happens to Tuchel if he doesn’t win a title this season?
Ballack: We all know the rules of the football business, and they won’t pass by quietly. Especially not at FC Bayern.
Ask: Is Dortmund the new vice-president after the botched championship in May?
Ballack: No, Dortmund have already won the championship title. But I believe that – as already mentioned – they will not be champions this season. The lost title on the last matchday of last season was too painful for that, and that still lingers. I know this from my own experience.
Ask: When you and Leverkusen lost the championship in Unterhaching on the last matchday of the 1999/2000 season…
Ballack: Yes, but it’s also a statement when Dortmund gets such a slap-up like they did in the very important home game against Bayern, even though they weren’t in top form before. BVB has a certain class, but it’s not enough for Bayern. Which is also due to the fact that they lost their exceptional player, Jude Bellingham, last summer.
Ask: Niclas Füllkrug has only scored three goals for BVB, how do you rate his start in Dortmund?
Ballack: You shouldn’t expect miracles from him. He is no Harry Kane, who guarantees 30 competitive goals or more. That’s why you have to assess your performance realistically. He is a mentality and penalty area player who needs to be fed with crosses.
Ask: Are you surprised that Union Berlin crashed like it did?
Ballack: Qualifying for the Champions League last season was a step up that no one expected. This crash is a hard setback; this season for Union it’s all about staying in the league. (the interview was conducted before Urs Fischer was fired this Wednesday, the editorial team)
Ask: Italy’s European champion Leonardo Bonucci, signed by Juventus in August, is seen as the face of the crisis. Was his signing a mistake?
Ballack: I thought it was good that Union had the courage to bring in a player like that. This shows the ambitions of the club. Blaming him solely for the crash is unfair. With such an anti-run, it is difficult to attract positive attention, especially as a defender. I am convinced that he will still help the Berliners based on his experience.
Ask: Will Stuttgart be the surprise of the season? And can VfB keep top scorer Serhou Guirassy beyond the season?
Ballack: They certainly are at this point. If Serhou Guirassy maintains his form, he will probably be unstoppable.
Ask: The topic is the national team, which plays against Turkey on Saturday and in Austria on Tuesday. What do you expect from the new national coach Julian Nagelsmann?
Ballack: That he creates a national team that is competitive and embodies a certain mentality so that fans can identify with them again. Because individually we have a lot of good players.
Ask: Does the minimum goal at the home European Championship have to be the semi-finals?
Ballack: We should first bake small rolls after our performance at the previous tournaments. In the current situation, reaching the semi-finals would be a success.
Ask: Is Ilkay Gündogan the right captain?
Ballack: He appears very clear and radiates calm. He is also success-oriented and decisive in his game. Because of his stints abroad – first at Manchester City and now at FC Barcelona – and his successes in England, he is fully accepted.
Ask: Do you still expect former captain Manuel Neuer to return to the DFB, who is missing from the international double pack this November?
Ballack: He took the first step by returning to goal. If he delivers top performances, I believe in a comeback.
Ask: Again as Germany’s number one?
Ballack: He was untouchable for years. If he had to take on a new role at the DFB now, I would find it difficult. If Manuel Neuer comes back, it will only be possible as number one.
Ask: Kai Havertz, who moved from Chelsea to Arsenal before the season, finds himself in a difficult situation. Did he mix things up?
Ballack: Kai Havertz has outstanding skills. But as already mentioned: He seems a bit too reserved for me. You need a certain robustness and mentality, especially abroad, to assert yourself in difficult situations. I hope he gets it done.
Ask: Should Havertz return to the Bundesliga?
Ballack: In my opinion it is still too early for that. He should assert himself at Arsenal by all means possible.
Ask: Bremen’s Marvin Ducksch is joining the national team for the first time. Surprised?
Ballack: These striker types are in demand because we don’t have many of them. That’s why the decision doesn’t come as a surprise to me. Especially since Marvin Ducksch has shown good performances at Werder over a long period of time. He will develop in a similar way to Füllkrug with the national team because he has better people at his side who will put him in the spotlight.
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The article was written for the Sports Competence Center (WELT, SPORT BILD, BILD) and first published in SPORT BILD.
