MICHAEL BALLACK has accused Chelsea medical staff of trying
to hide the full extent of his ankle injury. The Blues midfielder,
fit again after eight months out, insists it was TWO weeks before
Chelsea finally admitted the knock was serious. And the Germany
captain has lifted the lid for the first time on how the ankle
problem came close to wrecking his career.
Ballack suffered the injury in a Titus Bramble challenge at
Newcastle in April. In a clear pop at Chelsea, he blasted: Doctors
can also make mistakes. But then you must not try and turn the
facts, try to forget about your own mistakes and put the player
into a bad light. But in the end Chelsea made it clear
unfortunately two weeks late!
At the beginning of my injury break I constantly had to deny
rumours which were created by misleading comments from the doctors.
I kept hearing that the ankle surgery had not been necessary at
all. I had to justify myself, which was really hard for me. And on
a club level I heard a few remarks made behind my back which were
really disappointing for me.
That was the worst thing in the first week after the surgery that
it was reported: Ballack underwent surgery without reason and
without permission. For two weeks I had to read this rubbish
everywhere. Those claims are untrue and the development of the
injury proves that. The necessity of the surgery has been
confirmed. Ballack has suffered several setbacks on his road to
recovery and has only just returned to full-time action after
undergoing two operations on the ankle injury.
He caused a massive row at Stamford Bridge when he underwent
surgery in Germany without the clubs full knowledge back in April.
Former boss Jose Mourinho went ballistic when told the surgery
meant Ballack would be ruled out of the rest of last seasons
campaign and a long part of this season too. Ballack went ahead
with the surgery despite Mourinhos pleas for a delay, notifying
Chelseas medical staff a mere hour before his operation, only to
require more surgery over the summer.
Chelsea were equally bemused as to why the procedure was carried
out by Ludwig Seebauer, a doctor who specialises in shoulder
complaints. Ballack, who has started just 23 league games since
signing from Bayern Munich in May 2006, initially picked up the
problem on April 18. He was replaced by Jon Mikel Obi after just 18
minutes but claims he was told by Chelseas medical department that
the injury was not serious.
The complaint ruled him out of contention for the Champions League
semi-final against Liverpool three days later, but he was reassured
he could face Bolton on April 28. Instead, Ballack felt his ankle
was deteriorating and he flew to Munich for a second opinion at the
renowned clinic of Germany national team doctor Hans Muller-
Wohlfahrt the day before the Bolton game.
An X-ray detected a piece of chipped bone that was impinging on a
nerve and Wohlfahrt advised the German midfielder to have the
operation to stop any further complications. But almost immediately
Ballack was rocked by a series of stories that he had put himself
first and not his new Chelsea team, who had again crashed out of
the Champions League semi final to Liverpool.
They also blew their chance of lifting the Premier League title for
a record-busting third time in a row. The 31 year old, who signed a
lucrative four-year contract worth around £6.75million a season
after he left Bayern Munich, was so annoyed at the innuendos he
confronted other senior Chelsea players. They were understood to be
concerned he had gone ahead with the apparently unnecessary
surgery.
He added: After my return to London I told the team the truth
about it. Ballack also insists it was his maturity that got him
through the grind of rehab when he constantly questioned his own
playing future. He said: You start thinking about it if there is
no progress for weeks and there are always setbacks. You ask
yourself: Was that it? But Im the type of guy who would say:
Okay, you have to deal with it, youve had lots of good years. A
world would not have fallen apart for me. I am 31 years old and my
family gives me the fundamental for my life. At the age of 20 that
would have been different. It was very difficult for me because I
was told it would take three or four weeks and then I could play
again. Then I had the first surgery and then holidays.
I expected to return to practice after a little break but it did
not get better and I had to undergo a second surgery. No doctor
could tell me when I could return and what the diagnosis was. It
was always like: Wait a week and wait a week and wait a week. But
of course I watched the Chelsea games and the Bundesliga that was
my motivation to see the lads playing. I told myself: I want to
be a part of it again.
Thats why I got up each morning and drove to the rehab. The
awareness that I have lots of tasks left and that I still want to
accomplish something kept me going.
