File photo shows former German national team captain Michael Ballack. [Photo/IC]

Michael Ballack

Michael Ballack, former German national team captain, won the German Footballer of the Year award three times in 2002, 2003 and 2005.

He played in the UEFA European Football Championship in 2000, 2004 and 2008, and in the FIFA World Cup in 2002 and 2006.

Despite Ballack scoring consecutive goals in the quarterfinal and semifinal for the German team in the 2002 World Cup final, and led his team to the semifinals of the 2006 World Cup and the Euro 2008 final, he was not able to let his team realize their goal of holding up the winner's trophy.