Michael Ballack Released By Chelsea

Ballack leaves Chelsea after four years with the club unwilling to offer the German the two-year contract he was seeking.

The 33-year-old arrived at Stamford Bridge following the end of his contract at Bayern Munich with a reputation as one of Europe's best players and on the back of a brilliant World Cup.

But he has largely failed to live up to that billing, with injuries keeping him out of the team for lengthy spells.

Ballack helped Chelsea to their first Premier League title in four years this season while he also won the FA Cup three times.

But it was an ankle injury sustained in the last of those finals against Portsmouth in May that saw him ruled out of the World Cup, where he would have captained Germany.

Ballack will continue to be treated at Chelsea's Cobham training ground until his recovery is complete, when he is likely to receive offers from Germany while a move to join Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid has also been mooted.

Ballack's agent, Michael Becker, claimed on Wednesday that the player, who is on holiday in Miami, was "completely surprised" by the news.

"He has not spoken to Chelsea for three months," added Becker to German broadcaster RTL.

Becker said Ballack would have been willing to take a pay cut to stay with Chelsea and that he would even have accepted a one-year deal with an option for a second year based on appearances.

Michael Ballack's Career:

1995-1997 Chemnitz II - 18 apps 3 goals

1995-1997 Chemnitz - 49 apps 10 goals

1997-1999 Kaiserslautern - 46 apps 4 goals

1999-2002 Bayer Leverkusen - 79 apps 27 goals

2002-2006 Bayern Munich - 107 apps 44 goals

2006-2010 Chelsea - 105 apps 17 goals

Germany - 98 caps 42 goals