Chelsea Legend Breaks Silence on Death of 18-Year-Old Son
- A former Chelsea and Germany national football team star has spoken for the first time about the tragic death of his 18-year-old son in a quad bike accident in Portugal
- The ex-midfielder admitted the loss is “impossible to describe,” revealing he still struggles emotionally to speak about his son years after the tragedy
- He explained that focusing on work, family, and his other children has helped him cope while reminding himself how precious life truly is
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Former Germany international Michael Ballack has spoken publicly for the first time about the heartbreaking death of his 18-year-old son.
Ballack, now 49, enjoyed a distinguished playing career that lasted more than 15 years.
Source: Getty Images
During that time he represented several clubs, including Chemnitzer, Kaiserslautern, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Bayern Munich, and Chelsea.
The former midfielder collected numerous honours throughout his career, including four Bundesliga titles and one Premier League crown, among other trophies.
Away from football, Ballack shared three sons with his former wife Simone Lambe. Their children are named Louis, Emilio and Jordi.
Ballack speaks on death of son
Tragedy struck the family in August 2021 when Ballack’s son Emilio Ballack died at just 18 years old.
The teenager lost his life in Portugal after a quad bike accident that occurred shortly after a family barbecue.
According to reports cited by the Daily Mail, local police said Emilio had been riding the quad bike on uneven terrain when the vehicle tipped backwards and crushed him.
Firefighters managed to pull him free from the wreckage, and medical teams attempted to revive him at the scene, but he was sadly pronounced dead shortly afterward.
Source: Getty Images
Recently, Ballack opened up about the devastating loss during a “My Story” interview with Sky. When asked how he coped with Emilio’s death, the former footballer struggled to find words to describe the experience.
“Difficult. Difficult. You can’t imagine it,” Ballack said. “You can’t even describe it in words. It’s a process of repression. Everyone deals with it differently. I can hardly talk about him at all. I’d like to say much more, but it overwhelms me emotionally.”
Ballack became visibly emotional as he continued speaking about the tragedy and how he tries to cope with the loss.
“That’s why it’s a process of denial, where you try to cope through everyday life, through many things that motivate you – work, family, your other sons,” he explained. “Of course, you love your children more than anything and want to give them as much stability, warmth and security in life as possible. That’s the responsibility you bear as a parent.”
Reflecting further, Ballack admitted that the loss has changed the way he views life and the risks that come with it.
“Such a loss naturally intensifies that even more,” he said. “Of course, you then have greater fears. What else could happen? Life is precious. The life we lead is absolutely privileged. Luck and misfortune play a major role. Fate, you can call it what you want, but things just happen.”
Despite the unimaginable pain, Ballack said he is trying to confront the reality of the situation and continue moving forward.
“Despite all the talk of fate, I naturally want to face it,” he added. “That gives me strength again, this task, and at the same time the realisation that life goes on.”
Kudus names Essien as Ghana's GOAT
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Mohammed Kudus has finally weighed in on one of football’s biggest debates: who deserves to be called Ghana’s greatest footballer of all time.
When asked the question, the 25-year-old didn’t hesitate to name Michael Essien.
Source: YEN.com.gh
