Ballack

[martin]

I have heard many ppl here mention his name and say how great it wud b to have him here. I read that his contract expires next year n he is looking for a new club. He is being linked to inter. he wud b free(just like milan likes to get their players).

[hitmannq8]

He would be free - next year. He wants to leave- this year. So if we dont make a move now we wont get him at all. And yea, he is also old and experienced, just how Milan like :P.

Would be an excellent addition to the squad. Can cover all the roles in midfield in our tactical setup.

[martin]

alot of ppl have said he wud b worth 30 million, but in my opinion he wud come very cheap considering he wants to leave and bayern wud rather get sum money now then nothing next year.

[Chris]

He isn't that old... 28 or something?

He would indeed make for an excellent acquisition :D

[KhRiS]

He is still too young. :v46:

[rock]

Apparently ballack is joining man utd

[Filipéz 182]

source?

i read inter is interested in ballack, they want him next year (for free).

we should sign him this summer, we really need him becouse our midfield sucks right now. we could get him for 10M euros or something like that, so he isnt that expensive;

[KhRiS]

we really need him becouse our midfield sucks right now. e;
our midfield does'nt suck, we just need some reinforcements. :web:

[Filipéz 182]

our midfield does'nt suck, we just need some reinforcements. :web:

our midfield as it was last seasen sucks! seedorf played a terrible seasen, same goes for gatusso. and pirlo only played good after january.

our midfield is not in ballance, we need a played who fight, we can defend and who can score(ballack, gerrard, lampard, baraja). that would give pirlo more creative freedom, he has to do less defensive tasks, and thats good becouse he is very bad defensively!

[KhRiS]

our midfield as it was last seasen sucks! seedorf played a terrible seasen, same goes for gatusso. and pirlo only played good after january.

our midfield is not in ballance, we need a played who fight, we can defend and who can score(ballack, gerrard, lampard, baraja). that would give pirlo more creative freedom, he has to do less defensive tasks, and thats good becouse he is very bad defensively!


it's true, but we have a system that is working, few touch ups and we will be fine, maybe we need a larger squad.

[Dr Milano]

He mAY be old a bit and experience but hes pretty fast and strong as well he
performed exceptionally against Brazil in Confederations only did a little mistake in whole game itll be a dream to have him and stick pirlo on bench or if he takes gattusos position i dont like gattuso he has a lot of heart but is not a good player.

[Roger Nolli]

Too expensive player...

[mk18]

he has one hell of a shot on him and if we get him wed be more dimensional both offensivly and defensivly... what a player

[zlatanov]

I have always liked Ballack and now it seems we have a chance to get him either at a discount price this summer or for free after WC2006. What bothers me is that there hasn't been even rumours of a possible interest in him from Milan - even those losers Inter are interested in him, but not we. If we make him an offer, I just don't see how he could prefer them to us, unless he is out of his mind, that is.

[m1ke]

I have always liked Ballack and now it seems we have a chance to get him either at a discount price this summer or for free after WC2006. What bothers me is that there hasn't been even rumours of a possible interest in him from Milan - even those loosers Inter are interested in him, but not we. If we make him an offer, I just don't see how he could prefer them to us, unless he is out of his mind, that is.
Sounds like a typical Milan transfer to me ;)

[zlatanov]

Gila is now officially ours. All we need now is a Ballack type of player and a Cafu-sub and we will be ready to conquer the world again. If we manage to get the German, Juve can shove Vieira up their butts, as far as I am concerned.

[Smoje]

I hope Cafu sub will be Cicinho, and the midfielder... difficult to say...

[Jim_UK]

How on earth can Ballack be too old if he's only 28 ?? It's idiotic to think that. I think Inter may get him, even though they have an overload of central midfielders right now. However, i think Davids, Zanetti and maybe Veron (next summer) may leave which would give Ballack a better chance of playing. Still it's all hypothetical. As a rule, most players don't want too many changes in their footballing lives leading up to a World Cup, so moving to Italy and getting used to new surroundings and players would be alot of pressure on him.

I would still prefer Baptista, apparently Tottenham have put in the highest bid so far, surely we could beat that. Just 1 more great transfer, that's all we ask :D

[KhRiS]

I would still prefer Baptista, apparently Tottenham have put in the highest bid so far, surely we could beat that. Just 1 more great transfer, that's all we ask :D

we got Gila for just 3 million more than Tottenham has bidded for Baptista.

[K77SH C]

Yeah, its too much, but then again if Wenger is interested he there must be something special about him. If you dont rate Wenger as a manager you cant doubt his scouting abillities.

Whos place would Ballack take?

[KhRiS]

Whos place would Ballack take?

it is being suggested that he should replace Gattuso or Seerdorf(one bad season and all are after his throat).

[K77SH C]

Well he cant replace Gatusso ( or Pirlo ) because they are getting closer to their peak age, and are improving. I think Gatusso will shine this season as Pirlo did last season quietly pulling the strings in the centre of midfield. Rino will be alot louder though. :firedev: As for Seedorf, when hes good he fits into our system better than ballack would (On the left anyway) and when hes bad :p231: I would prefer to see Janko playing there rather than Ballack who is a central midfielder.

I would like to see a Capello type signing, maybe a Sissoko type player who could give us something new.

[pirlo2004]

it is being suggested that he should replace Gattuso or Seerdorf(one bad season and all are after his throat).
I have to be honest i am 1 of seedorfs critics but at this level of football a few bad games can cost you a trophy never mind a full bad season, i think Ballack is better than Seedorf even when Seedorf is playing well as he can attack as well as defend and has great vision so he could basicaly cover any1 of our midfield and in a world class manner, the options become great for us if we sign him,
Letting him go Man united is a mistake on his part, letting him go to Inter would be a mistake on ours, streching the budget that little bit extra for him this term would be a dream.

[hitmannq8]

Seedorf in top form? I wouldnt prefer any other player in the world to him.. When hes in top form, HE IS MAGNIFICENT.. But prob is, he is inconsistent.. Ballack can cover every single midfield role in our tactical setup.. Perfect substitute

[pirlo2004]

Seedorf in top form? I wouldnt prefer any other player in the world to him.. When hes in top form, HE IS MAGNIFICENT.. But prob is, he is inconsistent.. Ballack can cover every single midfield role in our tactical setup.. Perfect substitute
Seedorf can't even get in his national side because of his attitude wheres Ballack is the captain of his, and the captain of his club side so on top of all his other attributes he's a great leader too.
I think any player in top form is magnificent.
Seedorf like so many other greats is there on merit and not current performance.
please don't get me wrong i dont dis like the guy i'm just saying what i see and what i think is best for Milan.

[K77SH C]

I never understood why he cant get picked for Holland. His attitude has always seemd fine to me. If anyone has an attitude out of the two it would definately be Ballack.

How much is Ballack going for anyway, someone told me 8m, for that price milan would be silly not to. Hes a quality player and probably better than Seedorf, but Im unsure about him being better than Seedorf and Janko in their favoured positions when either one is on top form.

[m1ke]

I really don't think we need Ballack. Where would he play? On the left we have Janku, Seedorf, Serginho. In the middle we've got Pirlo, Vogel, and on the right Gattuso and Ambro.

That's ample cover in my opinion, I can't anything new that Ballack will bring to the table. I'd rather use the money to bolster the defence, with the first priority being a right back (cicinho?).

[ZBoban]

if Ballack was to come to Milan, I sure hope he would take Gattuso's place as a regular. Gattuso plays way to often for his ability...he should only play against lesser opponants or come on at end of games. Everytime I see Gattuso scrap a counter attack I feel sorry for players like Kaka or Sheva who have to play with him in the offensive zone. People can say anything they want how he has heart and is good defensively but he messes up way too many chances for him to be a regular at a big club like Milan.

[pirlo2004]

if Ballack was to come to Milan, I sure hope he would take Gattuso's place as a regular. Gattuso plays way to often for his ability...he should only play against lesser opponants or come on at end of games. Everytime I see Gattuso scrap a counter attack I feel sorry for players like Kaka or Sheva who have to play with him in the offensive zone. People can say anything they want how he has heart and is good defensively but he messes up way too many chances for him to be a regular at a big club like Milan.
I'm glad you said that cause i fully agree but i can't be bothered defending such a statement, i hope your ready to back it up because many in here think he should be our next captain.

[pirlo2004]

I really don't think we need Ballack. Where would he play? On the left we have Janku, Seedorf, Serginho. In the middle we've got Pirlo, Vogel, and on the right Gattuso and Ambro.

That's ample cover in my opinion, I can't anything new that Ballack will bring to the table. I'd rather use the money to bolster the defence, with the first priority being a right back (cicinho?).
Apart from Pirlo Ballack is far better than any of the others you just mentioned, have you even seen him play?
i understand you are faithfull to the players we have but you shouldnt be blind to what other teams have.

I fully agree on the cicinho transfer though, he looks awsome.

[shevchenko4u]

Now that we have secured the signing of Gilardino, Milan should think hard about signing Ballack if he is true up for sale for that 8 million suggested by reporters. Ballack would add another dimension to our attack. Ballack is a player who can shoot, dribble and pass with ease. Ballack would compliment Kaka and would free him up also as oppsition teams could not just afford to play two defenders on Kaka and Sheva.
..

[zlatanov]

Whos place would Ballack take?
The best thing about him is his versatility in midfield - he can play in Pirlo's, Seedorf's, Gattuso's, and even Kaka's role with plenty of success. Plus let's not forget that we still don't have a Pirlo sub. I know that Milan management seems to see Vogel as Pirlo's sub but they don't have much in common - Vogel is virtually a player identical to Ambrosini. Ballack, on the other hand can fill in any position in the mid, especially Gattuso's when we play teams that are mostly defending and we would need more creativity in midfield than Ringhio could offer.

[mk18]

actually zlatanov, unlike ambro vogel is a good passer of the ball... but we sold so many midfielders this summer and only got vogel and janku ... i think were short on midfielders and signing ballack for me would be like winning the treble... just his name along with our current summer signings is too good to be true (hopefully im wrong though).

i was thinking, we could play ballack in gattuso's role but that may unbalance the team a bit (but we could imagine what would happen since rhino had a horrible last season) only going forward we would definatly be better off.

for more balance we could play him in seedorfs role and personally its the most logicall choice considering his abilities.

3rd choice would be future rui costa replacement... im expecting to see rui leave the following summer so we could see him there sometimes, maybe we can play him as 2nd choice OM and play rui as pirlos backup. he would also be good if kaka has another bad season (hopefully not) but i really doubt that.

[martin]

i wud luv to see this midfield:
gattuso(ambro) prilo(rui costa, vogel) ballack(serginho)
kaka(seedorf)
imo rui is the best replacement for pirlo. I also think we need sum1 to challenge kaka for a starting spot n sum1 we can trust so that kaka doesnt have to start all the time. rui cant play a full game for a team like milan, imo he is just a super sub. If kaka is injured or is playing real bad, then we can count on seedorf to be a decent replacement.

[freddydaddy7]

its great to have someone like Ballack on our Roster that can be a leader as well someone that scores from the middle and goes for goals and as well defends well and he is at his peak at 28 he would be the right age to move over 5 years with him will be perfect to solve our midfield and thats somethin i would love to see him play with pirlo and Gattsuo

[shevagol_7]

We are definetly in need of a midfielder, but it would be incredibly hard to get Ballack. If Ballack is willing to leave Bayern there are plenty of clubs willing to pay more than what Milan want to. Thats why I don't see Ballack here, unless he really only wants Milan.

[hitmannq8]

Looks like he wants a move to La Liga or Serie A, he, just as many others, hate the premiership.

It is true that if we get Ballack, alot of our midfielders will get disappointed such as Gattuso, Ambro, and even Seedorf, but to me, I really think we would need ballack, and if anyone found problems with him, they can leave. None of these 3 players is SO important to us that we can´t cope without. I really hope we can bring in Ballack, but i see this transfer possibility as a 5%.

[K77SH C]

The best thing about him is his versatility in midfield - he can play in Pirlo's, Seedorf's, Gattuso's, and even Kaka's role with plenty of success. Plus let's not forget that we still don't have a Pirlo sub. I know that Milan management seems to see Vogel as Pirlo's sub but they don't have much in common - Vogel is virtually a player identical to Ambrosini. Ballack, on the other hand can fill in any position in the mid, especially Gattuso's when we play teams that are mostly defending and we would need more creativity in midfield than Ringhio could offer.

I think a player of Ballack's quality demands a regular role in the team. Hes too good to be a utility man and wont except being Pirlo's sub. Maybe Solari would have been a better option

[Jim_UK]

Some reports in the UK say that he's available for around the £12 million mark, if you're going to spend that kind of money, you might aswell spend another £5 million or so and get Baptista who is younger and would (hopefully) score alot more goals. Even though we have a great strikeforce now, you still need the midfield to score goals. When we won Serie A, Kaka and Pirlo had over 10 goals a piece and Seedorf weighed in with a few. Compare that to the season just gone and they are down on what is expected.

A part of me wants Ballack, but then a bigger part wants Baptista. It's unlikely that the latter will leave this summer, but if we put in a big enough offer to tempt Seville, who knows what will happen.

I doubt we'll sign anyone though to be honest, i hope i'll be proved wrong.

[zlatanov]

I think a player of Ballack's quality demands a regular role in the team. Hes too good to be a utility man and wont except being Pirlo's sub. Maybe Solari would have been a better option
I never meant that he would be just a utility player for us, sit on the bench and come in only if someone else is unavailable. All I meant was that by getting him, we would kill 3-4 birds with one single shot and it won't be necessary for us to buy 3-4 dif midfielders capable of playing in 1 position only.
One other thing though - IMO, the best way of arranging a team is to be able to rotate the players depending on the opposition we have to face. With Ballack in there, we won't have to play say Gattuso vs Messina at the San Siro, or when we need more physical presence in midfield, we could play him in Seedorf's or even Pirlos place, especially if the latter is off form. It will be one long, long season and all the time at least one of Pirlo, Seedorf, or Gattuso will be going through a bad period, so Carlo could play Ballack instead. He will give us a lot of "freedom" in fielding an in-form midfield.

[zlatanov]

Some reports in the UK say that he's available for around the £12 million mark, if you're going to spend that kind of money, you might aswell spend another £5 million or so and get Baptista who is younger and would (hopefully) score alot more goals. Even though we have a great strikeforce now, you still need the midfield to score goals. When we won Serie A, Kaka and Pirlo had over 10 goals a piece and Seedorf weighed in with a few. Compare that to the season just gone and they are down on what is expected.

A part of me wants Ballack, but then a bigger part wants Baptista. It's unlikely that the latter will leave this summer, but if we put in a big enough offer to tempt Seville, who knows what will happen.

I doubt we'll sign anyone though to be honest, i hope i'll be proved wrong.
Baptista is far from a proven player and the money Sevilla want for him is simply too much of a gamble for a player who has still a lot to prove - having a couple of good seasons in Spain is far from being at the top for 7-8 years now in the Bindesliga - a much more physical championship - and the CL.
I agree that Baptista is a very interesting player but for the right price and 20+ mil euros is everything but it, IMO.
Again he is a very unproven player, and right now, the chances that he would be a success are more or less equal to those saying he would be yet another expensive flop. This is too much money to be risked for a player like him and I honestly don't see Milan even making an inquiry about him any time soon.

[Milan3869]

I really don't think we need Ballack. Where would he play? On the left we have Janku, Seedorf, Serginho. In the middle we've got Pirlo, Vogel, and on the right Gattuso and Ambro.

That's ample cover in my opinion, I can't anything new that Ballack will bring to the table. I'd rather use the money to bolster the defence, with the first priority being a right back (cicinho?).

yeah this is true....we got to many midfielders that played extremely well last season...we need to think about getting some young defenders in to give maldini, nesta, stam and cafu a rest. ballack? he won't be bale to do this and will cause more problems as more players wont get playing time. anyways seedorf will play well next season!!!!!!

[K77SH C]

One other thing though - IMO, the best way of arranging a team is to be able to rotate the players depending on the opposition we have to face. With Ballack in there, we won't have to play say Gattuso vs Messina at the San Siro, or when we need more physical presence in midfield, we could play him in Seedorf's or even Pirlos place, especially if the latter is off form. It will be one long, long season and all the time at least one of Pirlo, Seedorf, or Gattuso will be going through a bad period, so Carlo could play Ballack instead. He will give us a lot of "freedom" in fielding an in-form midfield.

Good points, the problem though is it could unsettle the midfield ie. confidence. Also I just wonder who would start in midfield for the big games and would the poor guy not chosen willingly sit on the bench. Ballack is a great player though and it is tempting, especially with his goals. Time will tell I guess, but these days for Milan to sign a player it has to be more obvious than a train coming your way :tong: Unless its Vogel

[Hasan Rossonero]

am i the only one who thinks the team is complete?

[Hasan Rossonero]

Looks like he wants a move to La Liga or Serie A, he, just as many others, hate the premiership.

It is true that if we get Ballack, alot of our midfielders will get disappointed such as Gattuso, Ambro, and even Seedorf, but to me, I really think we would need ballack, and if anyone found problems with him, they can leave. None of these 3 players is SO important to us that we can´t cope without. I really hope we can bring in Ballack, but i see this transfer possibility as a 5%.
i would rather have ambro and gattuso than ballack. I think Ballack is alright but not as good as he is hyped to be.

[zlatanov]

am i the only one who thinks the team is complete?
yeah :coffee: :grinser: :devf: ... just kidding.

While getting a new midfielder is open to discussion, getting a Cafu-type right back is more or less a must for us. There have been unconfirmed rumours that we are after Cicinho and would be signing him in January. If this is in fact a fairy tale, I would expect Oddo or Cassetti - preferences for the first - to be signed within a couple of weeks. Then I would expect the management - not me :) - will consider the team complete and close the transfer market for real.

[Hasan Rossonero]

ok a rb yes. BuT Ballack's arrival would entail a major change in midfield. I would say our team is almost complete :D

[martin]

we need one more mid n we probably will use marzoratti as back up until we get cicinho in december

[hitmannq8]

Apparently, after he found out Inter was interested in him, now he wants to stay there and finish his contract there :P He says he believes in this project that Bayern are doing and wants to be in it. He said he can play at least up to 2006.

http://www.calciomercato.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=93684

[pirlo2004]

Good points, the problem though is it could unsettle the midfield ie. confidence. Also I just wonder who would start in midfield for the big games and would the poor guy not chosen willingly sit on the bench. Ballack is a great player though and it is tempting, especially with his goals. Time will tell I guess, but these days for Milan to sign a player it has to be more obvious than a train coming your way :tong: Unless its Vogel
This situation would only unsettle a mard ar5e but some1 profesional would fight harder for there place, at the moment at Milan there is nobody fighting for places (maybe up front now) bringing in Ballack would add competition then maybe players like Seedorf would look more like they wanted to play, and try a bit harder, Even Kaka wasn't that good last term.

[Maldini_Sheva]

We already have Pirlo in his position, and Vogel as his back up. Ballack is a great player. I'm hoping that he move to Man Utd rather than to Inter, or he'll be as sucks as other player. Coz you know Inter.... :D :D

[Milan3869]

ballack should stay where he belongs.....bayern "damn" munich!!!
why spend more money on an OK player when we got great midfielders already??

[mk18]

ballack is not an OK player... ballack to germans is like ronaldinho is to brazlians... he represents them, hes probably the best CM in the world and i think gerrard and lampard are a very close 2nd. hes got one of the best shots in the world, his passing is good as well, he can head the ball, and he always joins the attack, at times i feel we lack people in the box so we need a player like him there. if i were berlusconi id spend maximum 20M pounds on both him and oddo and ill imply the cheap/free player signing for another 3 years.

[Dr Milano]

ballack is not an OK player... ballack to germans is like ronaldinho is to brazlians... he represents them, hes probably the best CM in the world and i think gerrard and lampard are a very close 2nd. hes got one of the best shots in the world, his passing is good as well, he can head the ball, and he always joins the attack, at times i feel we lack people in the box so we need a player like him there. if i were berlusconi id spend maximum 20M pounds on both him and oddo and ill imply the cheap/free player signing for another 3 years.
ok but milan i think has done enough for transfers i agree ballack is a one of the best cm and best cm in germany but he will not join milan he will either sign for united [man u] or stay at bayern munich. :3band:

[zlatanov]

ok but milan i think has done enough for transfers i agree ballack is a one of the best cm and best cm in germany but he will not join milan he will either sign for united [man u] or stay at bayern munich. :3band:
I could hardly resist the temptation to trust what you say, especially given the outstanding reliability of the source you are quoting.

[Campari]

Ballack will definitly stay in Munich, so there's no chance for Milan to sign him.

[killiegradge]

Ballack would add to any team in the world.he has an excellent shot from outside the box which is something our midfielders lack.How many goals do Rino,Pirlo or seedorf score in open play from outside the box?If a midfielder is to be signed he would need to be quality as we have enough back up type players at the moment.I think ballack has that quality!

[Gio-mania]

would be nice to get him,
but bayern wont wanna sell him, and he'll be expensive if they do..
if his contract goes out next summer?

[Milan3869]

good shot from outside the box?? did we forget seedorf and pirlo??
both can shoot the ball...pirlo has great accuracy and seedorf has POWER!!
there's a reason why we got to the finals this past year and won the scudetto last year. why change something thats working perfectly?? ballack will only guarantee money spent....most likely wont adapt to serie A. serie A is a more defensive league than the others. our team is perfect and lets start supporting our current players!!!

[Milan3869]

i would rather have ambro and gattuso than ballack. I think Ballack is alright but not as good as he is hyped to be.
true dat!!! hasan...gattuso over ballack anyday of the year!!! believe that!!

[mk18]

good shot from outside the box?? did we forget seedorf and pirlo??
both can shoot the ball...pirlo has great accuracy and seedorf has POWER!!
there's a reason why we got to the finals this past year and won the scudetto last year. why change something thats working perfectly?? ballack will only guarantee money spent....most likely wont adapt to serie A. serie A is a more defensive league than the others. our team is perfect and lets start supporting our current players!!!

well if anything, the bundesliga is the closest thing to the serieA... just by looking at him play u can be sure he could easily adapt. and his excellent shooting is just one of many things he can do

[Jim_UK]

Sure Seedorf has power, but if you only score about 5 goals a season, what's the point ? Our midfielders need to contribute alot more in terms of goals, like they did 2 seasons ago and not like last season.

[Henrik]

Well hopefully the attack can score more goals than last year too. Both Kaka and Seedorf can improve on last year though. I am hoping for 10 more goals in Serie A than last year, with the same number of goals conceeded. I think that would be enough for the title. :)

[hitmannq8]

Galliani has not announced the the transfer market has closed yet. Although before we buy Gila he did say it will close after we buy him.

[hitmannq8]

http://www.calciomercato.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=94332

Ballack announces that he wants another big European club. My bet? Real.

[mk18]

we should mOVEEE!!!

[pirlo2004]

good shot from outside the box?? did we forget seedorf and pirlo??
both can shoot the ball...pirlo has great accuracy and seedorf has POWER!!
there's a reason why we got to the finals this past year and won the scudetto last year. why change something thats working perfectly?? ballack will only guarantee money spent....most likely wont adapt to serie A. serie A is a more defensive league than the others. our team is perfect and lets start supporting our current players!!!

There is also a reason why we threw it all away this year and i don't know about you but i can't stand that heartache again.
Too many players with a guarranteed starting place, Seedorf was crap last year and there is no getting away from the fact, even Pirlo and Kaka were below par last year and ok Gatusso has got heart and stamina but he's useles with the ball, he can't pass for sh1t, he gives it away far to much and most of his challenges are totally rash and usually result in a booking and a freekick on the edge of the area.
I do support the players we have but there is always room to improve and there can never be too much competition.

[mk18]

i kinda agree with u only i think pirlo is the only starting midfielder to stand out last season... he was amazing almost every game, i tihnk serginho shouldve started ahead of seedorf in most games

[hitmannq8]

http://www.calciomercato.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=94503

More rumours indicating that Ballack wants to leave

[jani]

yeah he wants to leave.. but he has never been associated with us..

[sehnsucht79]

I think he will only get better; and getting him now will be very, very good.

Ballack doesnt strike me as a Real player though.

[hitmannq8]

I dont think Milan will spend more on the market.

[Milan3869]

i kinda agree with u only i think pirlo is the only starting midfielder to stand out last season... he was amazing almost every game, i tihnk serginho shouldve started ahead of seedorf in most games

yeah serginho should have definitely gotten more starts!!!

[hitmannq8]

Rumours today morning were saying that Ballack had a gentleman´s agreement to join Man United in 2006. A few hours later his agent rubbished the reports and said we still have not yet spoken the spanish and italians. I think they prefer Spain and Italy to England.

Should I have a little hope of us getting Ballack? Afterall, today Carlotti has announced that the 3 man defence will be used mostly next season, and Ballack will do amazing if he is fielded in the centre along Pirlo!

[Jim_UK]

So hitmanq8 who will do all the ugly stuff ? The tackling and break up the opposition ? I can't see Pirlo and Ballack having much chance in the middle when they are up against tough midfielders like Bommel, Vieira + Emerson, Makalele + Lampard + Essien/Tiago, etc, etc ...

You need at least one person who is a tackler and is effective at it, otherwise we'd be too light and get taken apart.

[Warro Bantan]

There is also a reason why we threw it all away this year and i don't know about you but i can't stand that heartache again.
Too many players with a guarranteed starting place, Seedorf was crap last year and there is no getting away from the fact, even Pirlo and Kaka were below par last year and ok Gatusso has got heart and stamina but he's useles with the ball, he can't pass for sh1t, he gives it away far to much and most of his challenges are totally rash and usually result in a booking and a freekick on the edge of the area.My sedi..ahem...I mean sentiments exactly....especially this last part...I do support the players we have but there is always room to improve and there can never be too much competition.

[prifess]

i agree.
all midfielders had a ****y year exept gattuso. (but he has no technik, but is is no problem, he works like hell, and appriciate it, without him we wouldn't come that far last year)

lets all hope, because there would be no future transfers, all players would be in top form. because if i look what others clubs have bought, it will be harder then last season.

juve got vierra, exelent midfielder
Madrid got new defenders, attackers
Chelsea got lots of new players
Man U few new. but very good 1es


it would be hard to win Serie A and Champions league
with our curreen squad, they should all be in top form

[mrki]

Italian duo join Ballack chase Friday 12 August, 2005

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Juventus and Milan have reportedly joined the long queue forming for Bayern Munich midfielder Michael Ballack.

Reports in Germany on Friday claim that the two Italian giants have contacted his agent for the latest on his contract situation.

The German international is only tied to his present club until June 2006, which means he will be available on a free transfer if he doesn’t extend his agreement before then.

Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea and Inter have already been associated with the former Bayer Leverkusen ace.

However, his representative has pointed out that they’ve only received one concrete offer to this date.

"Michael is about to make the most important decision of his footballing life," Michael Becker told the Bild newspaper.

"The only real offer has so far come from Bayern themselves. The others have just made contact."

Whispers claim that the Munich outfit have offered their captain a contract up until 2010, worth around £20m in total

[hitmannq8]

Cmon Galliani! Bring us another gift!

[mk18]

this is unrealistic but getting oddo, ballack and cassano along with the rest we got would be better than winning the treble :D

[hitmannq8]

hehe yeah.. but that will not happen.. we will not get ballack, and Cassano to Milan? I´d see that as a 25% chance.. Hopefully, Oddo will come..

We have a big chance of winning the treble even if we dont any of those players - although Oddo would be really valuable if he came. Would give Cafu a rest a few times. But even without Oddo, we have Marek, who would be willing to be play in that position.

[jani]

Ballack coming would complete our team. Damn! He has to come.

[Dr Milano]

this is unrealistic but getting oddo, ballack and cassano along with the rest we got would be better than winning the treble :D
we should bloody change our name tooooo = Dream Team lol :devs:

[Milan3869]

dream team?...with oddo, ballack, and cassano??

[Jim_UK]

If we can't get Ballack, why not go for Ze Roberto ? Put him in Seedorf's position and we'd have the perfect replacement who has a bit of everything. The guy doesn't stop running, has pace and can beat people so he can go wide when we need him too. Plus now he's playing more centrally for the national team, he has a little bit more bite and hassling qualities about him now. He's not a great tackler or anything, but with his pace and commitment, if someone did get past him he'll give it everything to get back and try and win the ball.

He would be cheaper also, which is good. Just an idea.

[jani]

I think he just renewed with Bayern. And he's like 30+. I dont want another player that old :(

[Dr Milano]

dream team?...with oddo, ballack, and cassano??
Nah man

------------------- Dida -------------------------------

--------Oddo----------Nesta-----Stam---------Jankulovski

--------------Pirlo ----- Ballack


-------------------------Kaka-----------
Cassano

------------- Gilardino ------------- Shevchenko

[Chris]

Tbh, that team sucks, it has no balance at all...

And why drop Maldini and Cafu :5milan: :5dito:

[prifess]

btw cassano has put pressure on cassano: he wants a contract of 25mil€ and roma only wants to give 16,5mil€

so he traits to go to his ofrmer employer, who now works at JUVE. so i think if he leaves roma, he wants to play for Capello.
to bad for milan. altough i hope he comes to Milan

[MATNAT]

i agree ballack is a great player but where would you fit him in the team?

at best in our current formation he could only repalce either pirlo or kaka.

hes not meant to play wide left (i.e seedorf) or as a defensive/ball winner (i.e gattuso).

so i take it you ballack lovers would indeed change the formation, to what may i ask? and also remember that the team must be balanced. theres no point playing 4 playmakers in the midfield with no ball winners as we all know what that adds up too..(real madrid..)

[ariel]

']I think he just renewed with Bayern. And he's like 30+. I dont want another player that old :(
True.He`s 29 actually.I think Jim made a good point about Ze Roberto though.

[Chris]

i agree ballack is a great player but where would you fit him in the team?

at best in our current formation he could only repalce either pirlo or kaka.

hes not meant to play wide left (i.e seedorf) or as a defensive/ball winner (i.e gattuso).

so i take it you ballack lovers would indeed change the formation, to what may i ask? and also remember that the team must be balanced. theres no point playing 4 playmakers in the midfield with no ball winners as we all know what that adds up too..(real madrid..)

I'd keep the same formation, but replace Seedorf with Ballack. Seedorf isn't playing "wide left", whenever we have played with that position in our team, Serginho have played there... :rolleyes:

[Milan3869]

i wouldn't mind ze roberto for seedorf at all....but no ballack!!

[Dil dil]

Ballack considering options
15.8 || webmaster || $source

Source: ClubCall.com

Michael Ballack's agent has admitted the midfielder will scrutinise Bayern's contract offer carefully before deciding whether to stay.

Ballack's future has been the subject of intense speculation this summer with the playmaker linked with moves to Manchester United and, more recently, Milan and Juventus.

He has, finally, been offered a new, lucrative deal by Bayern that was initially slow in coming and his agent, Michael Becker, has admitted he will look at what offer is on the table in detail before deciding whether his future lies away from Munich.

But he has hinted a move elsewhere remains the more likely outcome to the saga.

Becker told Kicker magazine: "Bayern took a long time to put an offer on the table. Now it is legitimate for us to look around to see whether it fits the market value."

If he does decide to move on, there will be no shortage of sides interested throughout Europe with Premiership sides United and Arsenal keeping a close eye while Milan and Juve have both signalled their intent to try and lure the 28-year-old to Italy.

[shevchenko4u]

Michael Ballack.
Michael Ballack's contract situation at Bayern is yet to be resolved. Ballack is a great player one who would bring something different to our Milan side should he join. Ballack has a lot of skill on the ball, great vision and can shoot. He would fit into our system and could replace Seedorf who is still under preforming. If Milan were to sign him in January then the price would be low and another world class player would be added to our aleady great side.
..
What does everuone think??????

[prifess]

Michael Ballack.
Michael Ballack's contract situation at Bayern is yet to be resolved. Ballack is a great player one who would bring something different to our Milan side should he join. Ballack has a lot of skill on the ball, great vision and can shoot. He would fit into our system and could replace Seedorf who is still under preforming. If Milan were to sign him in January then the price would be low and another world class player would be added to our aleady great side.
..
What does everuone think??????

i agree. we need 1 midfielder. don't care who but a world class player or a future star. in general under 28y.
but ballack would be great. but if we sign em. he can't play in champions league duels this season. but nothing wrong with that.
lets hope he comes :p

[MadeMashin]

lol whats this hype over cassano?..the only thing ive seen him do is cry about being substituted for mido..but maybe i missed something?

[slicknick]

i agree. we need 1 midfielder. don't care who but a world class player or a future star. in general under 28y.
but ballack would be great. but if we sign em. he can't play in champions league duels this season. but nothing wrong with that.
lets hope he comes :p

Well correct me if I'm wrong...You say "in general under 28 years old, but you want Ballack, who is 29.
Don't get me wrong I would like to see him play for us too, but I do not think it is going to happen, as it is very unlikely for Bayern to let him go...

[zlatanov]

Well correct me if I'm wrong...You say "in general under 28 years old, but you want Ballack, who is 29.
Don't get me wrong I would like to see him play for us too, but I do not think it is going to happen, as it is very unlikely for Bayern to let him go...
true, Ballack is 29 but that's why he said "but Ballack would be great"
Right now, the situation is out of Bayern's hands as his contract is about to expire. It all depends on him now - if he wants to leave, he will, if not, he will extend his contract with them but there isn't much they can do - even now he is easily the top earner at the club.
Ballack is at an age when an experience abroad becomes more and more tempting for time is no longer on his side and this may very well play a big role in his decision.

[prifess]

ye it would be great.
but hmm i saw on television ballack is closer to MAN U, then to milan.
because if they sell ballack bayern want to buy van der vaart and/or lincoln (schalke 04).

[Nirvana FC]

ye it would be great.
but hmm i saw on television ballack is closer to MAN U, then to milan.
because if they sell ballack bayern want to buy van der vaart and/or lincoln (schalke 04).
I think Ballack will leave Bayern next summer. And he certainly realise that there are a large number of German players with succesfull experiences at Italy (Rummenigge, Voeller, Matthäus, Brehme, Klismann etc.) and I just can remember the latter with a sucessfull experience in the Premiership.
And Milan can give him the chance to win everything in Europe.

[K77SH C]

By the time he comes he will be 30. We have a young midfield, Id like to keep it that way. Surely theres someone we can use for more than a couple of years.

[GilAttack [11]]

If he comes at 30, then no problem. He would still be more than useful for the next 3 years. It would be exciting to add him to this squad.

[prifess]

Beckenbauer (a coach of bayern, well know footballer) says ballack will not renew his contract with bayern.
he sugets ballack a future move to real madrid. because that club is a top club.



so real is a new concurrent on the market, but i think he will move to man u

[hitmannq8]

i dont think he will be stupid enough to go to Man U.. a team that has no chance in winning any domestic title or euro.. with Mourinho in Chelsea, i think it will be a VERY long time until Chelsea lose a game, let alone them losing the league!

ballack wont go to man U, if he is to leave, he'll look for a TOP team challenging in europe. The top teams for the best few years were: AC Milan, Real, Juve, Inter, Barca (hrm never passed the quarter-finals in a long time right?), Lyon (but i doubt he'd go), and Chelsea.. I expect Ballack to end up at either one of those clubs, but will Real really take him? To replace who? I really hope we could add Ballack to give Seedorf enthusiasm so he gets a bit more consistent

[mk18]

i dont think juve will go for him, they have good enough players tht play in his position, man u would die to have him but i dont think hed accept, chelsea would also offer money and it might seem close that hell go but he wouldnt because they too have too many similar players. i think he will end up at either milan or barca or inter and real... but something is telling me its us who will have him INSHALLAH!

[hitmannq8]

BOY is he getting any closer to milan :)

rumours today suggest that Ballack is going to Italy, and he stated that "he will take his time planning his future", while Rummenigge (bayern director) said that Ballack will make a decision before the clash with AC Milan..

[mk18]

i wish although he still hasnt been linked to us... he has with juve and inter.. inter seems favorites since pizarro isnt doing well there while veron is leaving them

[GavinMilan]

honestly, if Milan can CONVINCINGLY beat Bayern, then Ballack will consider coming to Milan instead of Juve. I really think Ballack will not consider Inter, since Inter is INter.

Juve on the otherhand might attract Ballack, since they are a team with a very similar system to Bayern. Then again, if Ballack is to go to Juve, he might not have a starting position since they already have two great central midfielders in Emerson and Viera with Nedved and Carmonesi on the wings.

Milan is a different case, if Ballack is to come, I believe he will be in the starting 11 along with Kaka and Pirlo.

[hitmannq8]

Milan is a different case, if Ballack is to come, I believe he will be in the starting 11 along with Kaka and Pirlo.

Assuming he'll take Seedorf's or Gattuso's role? Well, im not a great fan of Gattuso and i know he can be replaced, but i also know that his influence cannot be replaced. If i was to risk one of talent and skills, or influence, it would certainly be influence. I would pick Ballack (although i prefer Diarra) over him. Man U want both Gattuso and Vogel, maybe we can sort a deal or something with them concerning their youth talents.

Back to the subject, I think Ballack was Milan bound ever since i read a report last summer saying that Braida was spotted in Munich and was trying to buy Ballack for 30 million! But then in September Galliani did state that we do not want Ballack cuz we have Rui and Kaka in that position. I still have not yet seen Galliani say "we will NOT buy a player" and actually end up buying him (Gila case was diff, he was misinterpreted by the press). So thats why I have very little doubt that this will happen.

[kris]

I still have not yet seen Galliani say "we will NOT buy a player" and actually end up buying him (Gila case was diff, he was misinterpreted by the press). So thats why I have very little doubt that this will happen.

then you can't have followed any of our transfers :D He have said that about half the transfers we ever made. sometimes even the day before the deal is sealed.

As for Ballack, I would say yes on that. As I showed in other threads I don't say no just because a player is no longer a teenager and because we won't pay billions for him.

[mk18]

i think the most important thing ballack would add to our team is his incredible shooting ability from outside the box... the guy puts the ball wherever he wants at the speed he wants it to be!! .. personally if we get him id play him in gattuso's position... maybe in that time gattuso would start motivating himself to become the great DM we had 2 years ago

[GavinMilan]

I want Ballack, it would be a dream come true, if he wears the Milan jersey for next season

[Josh-Sheva]

Forza Ballack... but he is not coming sorry... i assure you!!!!!!!! He wants to go to Italy and eurosport said that Fiorentina, Inter and Juve are looking to sign him.. but it didnt mention anything about us!!! :((((((

[GavinMilan]

Don't worry, Nesta was never suppose to come to Milan too.

[Interista]

[QUOTE=GavinMilan I really think Ballack will not consider Inter, since Inter is INter.[/QUOTE]

Inter is Inter! The greatest football club on earth!
And that's exactly why Ballack will come to us.

Next season with him we will beat the crap out of your pathetic little team, just like we did in the last derby. ;)

MILANO SIAMO NOI!!!!!!!!!
E SOLO NOI!!!!!!!!

[Milan_Mad]

If ballack went to inter he would just become another flop in serie a

[Warro Bantan]

If ballack went to inter :5inter: he would just become another flop in serie a yup, then he would leave the perdenti and come to Milan, and rekindle his career....a la Seedorf and Pirlo! :devf:

[mk18]

Inter is Inter! The greatest football club on earth!
And that's exactly why Ballack will come to us.

Next season with him we will beat the crap out of your pathetic little team, just like we did in the last derby. ;)

MILANO SIAMO NOI!!!!!!!!!
E SOLO NOI!!!!!!!!
how is this guy not banned... never insult milan.. especially when ur praising ur underacheiving losers...

remind me... besides the pic nic trophy u win yearly... when was the last time u won anything?

[mrki]

If we can somehow get Ballack it would be a big mistake not to get him. the man is FREE! and even if he fails,which he probably will not, we didnt spend any big transfer money except for wages. He can play in seedorf's position,he can run,defend,shoot.like seedorf used to do. Ballack still has 2-3 great years to play.

[GilAttack [11]]

His decision was expected before this UCL series against Milan. Milan always said they were not looking at him. Ballack was linked with Inter, Fiorentina and Juve.

I dont know, but there would be tons of critics if Ballack to Milan was a done deal by now, given that he is playing against his soon to be team. Maybe after the second game against us, there will be some kind of announcement, who knows?

Ahhh...gotta love conspiracy.

:5nana:

[Vadim]

Inter is Inter! The greatest football club on earth!
And that's exactly why Ballack will come to us.

Next season with him we will beat the crap out of your pathetic little team, just like we did in the last derby. ;)

MILANO SIAMO NOI!!!!!!!!!
E SOLO NOI!!!!!!!!

don't you have more important topics to talk about at your crappy little inter forums?

remember- Inter, Making Milan fans laugh since 1908

[GavinMilan]

He is right, Inter is Inter.

If Greatest Football Club means not winning anything for a long time, then Inter is the Greatest Football Club in the history of Football

[SANT]

from Gazzetta dello Sport

24/2/2006

Ballack? Più Inter che Bayern

Rumenigge, amministratore delegato del club tedesco, spiega che "il trasferimento dipende solo dai nerazzurri", che al momento offrono un triennale da 4,5 milioni a stagione
Ballack, 29 anni, esulta dopo il gol al Milan.

ApMILANO, 24 febbraio 2006 - Kalle Rummenigge spinge Michael Ballack verso l’Inter proprio nel giorno in cui Massimo Moratti rimette le mani su Ronaldo, allontanandolo dalla presa del Milan. Due ammissioni importanti e casualmente contemporanee. Forse anche per questo di maggior impatto. Associare due giocatori così importanti all’Inter in maniera così esplicita significa dare a un tratto corpo ai desideri dei più. E soprattutto conferma una serie di indizi che da mesi vedono protagonisti gli uomini di Massimo Moratti.
IL TEDESCO E’ esemplare la vicenda di Ballack, il ventinovenne capitano del Bayern Monaco in scadenza di contratto. Il trequartista candidato a rilevare il testimone di Juan Sebastian Veron (che ha ormai deciso di tornare all’Estudiantes a fine stagione) è da tempo in contatto con gli emissari nerazzurri. Così come il suo agente Michael Becker ha ascoltato le proposte del Real Madrid, oltre che dello stesso Chelsea. Lui, peraltro, non ha ancora rotto ufficialmente con il suo attuale club che, ovviamente, terrebbe molto a confermarlo. Va ricordato, infatti, che in autunno Rummenigge gli aveva già presentato un’offerta da oltre 4 milioni di euro a stagione. Ballack, però, vuole 5,5 milioni di euro a stagione per i prossimi quattro anni. Vale a dire 44 milioni di euro al lordo.

L’OFFERTAInvece l’Inter insiste per un triennale da 4,5 milioni di euro l’anno. In tal caso alle casse nerazzurre l'ingaggio verrebbe a costare 27 milioni. Quindi con uno stanziamento iniziale inferiore di ben 17 milioni. Ma il nazionale tedesco non pare allettato da questa soluzione. Ecco perché i discorsi per ora procedono senza particolari accelerate. Eppure al Bayern si preoccupano lo stesso.
KALLE TEME Le parole del presidente del glorioso club bavarese sono per la prima volta esplicite sull’argomento. «Noi vogliamo che Michael resti, ma dipende da quel che decidono lui e l’Inter». Rummenigge lo dice ai microfoni di Italia 1 ed è la riprova che la faccenda sta entrando assolutamente nel vivo. Con gli inevitabili botta e risposta diplomatici tra i dirigenti. E l’ex campione nerazzurro evita polemiche, anche se il disagio è più che evidente.
SU RONALDO «Non è la prima volta che dice di essere triste a Madrid, e quindi non mi meraviglia...», ha commentato a proposito di Ronaldo il patron nerazzurro, Massimo Moratti, uscendo ieri sera dalla sede della sua azienda. E se il Fenomeno finisse al Milan? «Sinceramente mi sorprenderebbe vedere Ronaldo al Milan, un po’ sì...». Una punzecchiatura che implicitamente conferma come il Fenomeno abbia mantenuto ottimi rapporti soprattutto con lo stesso Moratti. Al punto che i due si sentono con una certa frequenza. E il feeling ancora vivo potrebbe alla lunga aiutare l’Inter a vincere quest’appassionante duello.
ADRIANO STORY Moratti, poi, gioisce per l’assoluzione di Adriano di fronte alla Disciplinare: «Sì ma è un peccato che ci sia stata quella prima sentenza perché ha creato imbarazzo in tutti noi. È stata una situazione psicologica antipatica per Adriano. Comunque sono soddisfatto che sia finita così. Perché è stato assolto dalla stessa prova tv, si è capito che ha fatto qualcosa di diverso da quello che si era pensato». Ad Amsterdam però Massimo Moratti era stato molto più minaccioso... «No, no, era una battuta di spirito. Se facciamo il processo alle intenzioni, chissà quante cose cattive posso pensare e chissà quanti anni di squalifica mi danno. Era solo una battuta, E difficile fare il giudice, ma è anche difficile farsi giudicare sulle intenzioni. Credo che Adriano abbia bisogno di uscire da questo momento giocando, perché le qualità ci sono».

[SANT]

Basic translation:

Rumenigge says the transfer depends only on Inter, who are currently offering 4.5 million/ year, during 3 years. But in total, Inter would end up paying 27 Million...

Also, Moratti tempting Ronaldo, fearing he may end up at ACMilan.

[Ivan]

Basic translation:

Rumenigge says the transfer depends only on Inter, who are currently offering 4.5 million/ year, during 3 years. But in total, Inter would end up paying 27 Million...

Also, Moratti tempting Ronaldo, fearing he may end up at ACMilan.
this is bad news if inter buy ronaldo and ballack then the jerks are going to very strong.with cambiasso and ballack in the middle it would give them far more attacking options.i know everybody say that ronaldo is bad player but in last 3 seasons he scored more than 20 goals and do i have to remind you how often hes injured?for me hes better than adriano-he hasnt scored for 8 or 9 games and ronaldo score very often

[mk18]

i think this belongs in the ballack thread


... as for ballack.. i would really be dissapointed if we dont get him! if he goes to inter it would mean hes after the money and not the glory. at milan he suits our style perfectly plus with a rebuilt defence hopefully... we can be favorites to win everything we compete in

[zlatanov]

if Ballack does go to Inter, then I would be glad we Ididn't get him for Milan don't need money-hungry retards in the squad. His wage demands are simply ridiculous - 5 year contract with more than 5 mil euros per season (or 28 mil altogether) and he would be 30 yo next season. I like him as a player but if getting him would mean to commit financial suicide, no thanks, there are a number of explayers out there who would be a much more frugal investament than ballack.
And Inter won't get any stronger than they already are. Since Moratti took control, they have always had the best squad, on paper that is, filled with stars and TV icons but we all know what that got them - NOTHING. So, don't worry if they get fat Roni or Ballack as that won't help them get any better than 3rd place in Serie A.
RIP Ballack.

[SANT]

let's wait and see...

if we ended up getting Ballack, as somewhat surprising addition (since there are no official comments about this), it would be great, but would mean probably Seedorf would have to go to the bench...

better to make a deal with him now, because if he has a good WC, he is going to cost even more...

would you say $15 million euros total for the transfer (fee for Bayern, and his salary included for 3 years) would be a fair amount, given the fact that he will turn 30 soon?

[zlatanov]

would you say $15 million euros total for the transfer (fee for Bayern, and his salary included for 3 years) would be a fair amount, given the fact that he will turn 30 soon?
No way, I like Ballack as a player, I like him a lot, but the only reason why I would want him join Milan is because he is a free agent. If that were not the case, I would prefer see Milan invest in a younf world class player for whom we may pay a lot but at least he will have 7-8 years of top football in him and not just 1-2 as is in ballack's case.
But I guess even as a free agent Ballack would turn not to be a good deal as his wage and contract demands are simply outrageous - the guy is soon to become 30 yo and he's asking for a 5 year contract with close to 6 mil euros/season. Well, it's one thing to know your price but this is ridiculous given his age, plus, I doubt that even Sheva and Maldini get anywhere near 6 mil euros. Giving one player such high wage could very well cause an avelanche reaction and cause disgruntle among the rest.

[mk18]

the whole point of getting ballack is that we would be signing one of the best players in the world that is very versatile and can solve some midfield problems we have, and because he would add depth to our team ... and for free ... but if hes gonna ask for a crazy wage demand like that, its either take or leave it... we want him, but hes not our only hope we can find someone else. however, if hes ready for a normal contract thats equal to what he does, then id be very dissapointed if we dont get him.

[ACMILAN1983]

Merged Ballack threads together ;)

[hitmannq8]

hmm i dont thnk we will get him anymore cuz galliani said again that we r not going for him.. my hope is for diarra, but milan dont like splashing out the cash on promising players..

here are the kinds of players milan like to buy:
1- cheap and promising (eg. Kaka)
2- cheap and not toooo old (eg. Stam)
3- free and not too old (alot of examples)
4- expensive and proven himself in Serie A (eg. Pippo, Nesta, Rui Costa, Gilardino)

We havent really splashed out the cash on any player outside Italy for some time now.. last i remember is Sheva and it wasnt really a splash..



Although i'd love Diarra, but he doesnt fit any one of those categories. Ballack fits #3. Rafael Sobis fits #1. Cris fits #2. And Barzagli is #4.

[Pablo I]

I wouldn't really consider Stam cheap and not too old when we acquired him. 10.5 million euros for a 32 year old...

[GavinMilan]

Smoke Screen, Smoke Screen. By stating that to the press, Ballack's agent just drove the Ballack up for others to see what is going on and other potential buyers to hurry up. Or another thing is that they are doing this to let the real buyer know, Ballack has other real option.

The thing is, Ballack is not stupid, he has not won CL and WC. I believe he would want to go to a team that has a great chance of winning the CL. Can't really choose country.
Thus, I believe that if a big club win CL, like Real, Arsenal, Milan, Juve. Most likely he will head to those clubs. IT would be funny if Bayern wins, and see where Ballack will go. Wait a minute, Bayern is playing us, which means they will lose.

As long as Milan win the CL or come close, Ballack will choose Milan. Since over the past three years there is no other club team that did as well as Milan. The Blues came close but they have not win yet.

[mk18]

actually from the teams u mentioned... only milan and juve are currently considered more favorites than bayern, his current club... other teams are barca and chelsea and neither really need him, nor do juve which should put us in the driving seat if the CL is really what hes after and not the money

[GavinMilan]

the thing is, soccer players are beginning to notice one thing. Commerical/Sponsor deals will earn more money than players' salaries. Look at Beckham. Thats why players would want to play for a big clubs, due to its explosure. Especially after the WC, where the whole world will be craze about football again.

[mk18]

Poulsen poached from Milan?
www.channel4.com
Saturday 25 February, 2006
There are conflicting reports around Europe today, one claiming Milan have signed Christian Poulsen and another suggesting he has a deal with Villarreal.

This week Rossoneri Vice-President Adriano Galliani hinted that they were interested in taking the Danish midfielder, who so famously infuriated Francesco Totti, Kaka and Gennaro Gattuso with his rough style of marking.

There are claims in the Italian Press today that a deal has been struck for a three-year contract worth just over £1m per season for the Schalke 04 star who will be a free agent in the summer.

However, in Spain the newspapers are equally adamant that Villarreal have pipped them to the post with their own offer.

Poulsen is said to have agreed a contract until 2010 worth £1.6m per season with the Liga outfit.

The Spanish Press also maintains that Real Madrid are gearing up another massive bid to lure Zlatan Ibrahimovic away from Juventus.

With Ronaldo increasingly likely to walk out in the summer for a return to Serie A, possibly to Milan, the Swede has been pin-pointed as his ideal replacement.

‘As’ claim the Merengues have a £30m offer on the table for the player whose current contract with the Bianconeri expires in June 2008.

[Ivan]

you are all talking about ballack huge salary but you are forgeting one thing.he is one of the most populars footballers in the world and with his sponsors and other crap like that we could earn money.but something tells me that he going to madrid

[mk18]

yeah... but sheva and maldini and kaka are even bigger players yet what hes demanding is much more than what they earn

[GavinMilan]

Well, Ballack is worth the money since he is the one or two players in the world that really could push Milan to be Champions on all front

[Ivan]

Well, Ballack is worth the money since he is the one or two players in the world that really could push Milan to be Champions on all front
He is definetly worth the money just look at his recent form hes midfielder and ne scores every match(last 5-6 games).it a rare oportunity to sign a player of his quality for free and milan should do their best that he wears rossonero jersey next season.and about money i recently saw in a newspapper that milan is third richest club in the world so i think money is not a big problem

[mk18]

thats not it... ballack is great offcourse, i want him here more than anyone, but that doesnt mean we have to give him the crazy wages he demands, why should he earn more than maldini and sheva? i dont mind if he earns as much but definatly not 1 or 2 million more!

[Jeff]

He would be a great addition, but whether he'll fit in Milan's system will is another story.

And, why people believe Galliani?

[hitmannq8]

why not? he doesnt lie that much..

[GavinMilan]

To be honest, I think with the current climate of the game, a midfielder like Ballack is harder to come by then someone like Sheva and Maldini. Now b4 you all start jumping at me about, how great those two players are.... I know that, I am not stupid. What I am really saying is that there are a lot of strikers currently and available that are close to Sheva status, same as Maldini. But this is not the case of Ballack. To my understanding that are Lampard, Essien, Veira and Gerrard. ANd of them, maybe only Essien is available but thats a stretch. Thus making Ballack in high demand.

Think about it this way, it is a supply and demand question.

Sheva type strikers available are, Ronaldo, Henry, Torres

Maldini type defenders available are, Gallas, Alex, even to certain extend Chivu

[Vonim]

I think he signed a pre-contract with Chelsea yesterday.
They are ready to pay him 170 000 pounds per week !Too bad, i wanted him in Serie A not in England

[Josh-Sheva]

he denied it!

[mk18]

To be honest, I think with the current climate of the game, a midfielder like Ballack is harder to come by then someone like Sheva and Maldini. Now b4 you all start jumping at me about, how great those two players are.... I know that, I am not stupid. What I am really saying is that there are a lot of strikers currently and available that are close to Sheva status, same as Maldini. But this is not the case of Ballack. To my understanding that are Lampard, Essien, Veira and Gerrard. ANd of them, maybe only Essien is available but thats a stretch. Thus making Ballack in high demand.

Think about it this way, it is a supply and demand question.

Sheva type strikers available are, Ronaldo, Henry, Torres

Maldini type defenders available are, Gallas, Alex, even to certain extend Chivu


i honestly dont understand what you are trying to say... if your telling me that essien is better than ballack then theres something wrong with you IMO

[GavinMilan]

I am not saying Essien is better than Ballack, I stated that Essien is the only one who might be available that is close to Ballack's level. But IMO, Ballack is byfar the best two way midfielder in the world

[zlatanov]

Haha, Ballack seem to have refused Inter since he wants to join a club that has a chance of winning the CL. :dcool: :firedev:
I bet that won't go too well with the nerazurri faithful, especially that guy, who visited this forum a couple of days ago :5dito:
Ballack might be asking for a bit too much on his personall contract but I guess he for sure aint brainless :coffee:

[Warro Bantan]

Well, seeing as how he is "destined" for Milan ( :haha: ), maybe I will get a Ballack shirt for next season!

It seems to me that Juve should be his preferred destination, even if Chelsea are opening their cheque book to sign the German.

I am sure his price dropped after he was made to look like an amateur vs the Azurri! :D

[GilAttack [11]]

If you are Galliani/Berlusconi, you must go for this player. I mean, you present him as the guy that said "No" to Inter, that is special for Milan fans.

:)

[zlatanov]

']If you are Galliani/Berlusconi, you must go for this player. I mean, you present him as the guy that said "No" to Inter, that is special for Milan fans.

:)
Yeah, he could become like an emblem for the club.
But seriously, he would cost just way too much - just read rumours of Kenyon negotiating with Ballack's agent and a sum of "less than 50 mil" was mentioned. He is a marvelous player but his wage demands are just ridiculous and will "erase" the whole point of him being free if we will have to invest at least 25-30 mil euros in a 30 yo player. Right now Chelski seem to be the only club rich, and crazy, enough to sign Ballack and he would probably end up there.
Plus, building a TEAM is what our goal should be and not just assembling a star-packed gang of players, Inter-style. My point is that Ballack's presence doesn't guarantee us anything but big headlines in the papers, and most of the time, this is not the club that's smiling in the end.

[Warro Bantan]

Very good point Zlat!! I tend to agree that his wage demands are excessive, for the quality of service he will be able to deliver over the duration of his contract.

He could well end up for us, as how Zizu has for Real...excellent in the first season, and less than spectacular thereafter.

Plus, like you stated, and as other "lesser" teams have shown, sometimes its more about how the TEAM plays, as opposed to a collection of stars....a la Real Madrid

[Warro Bantan]

And so on and so forth:

From: the guardian

http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,1722118,00.html

Ballack admits Chelsea interest

Michael Ballack is in contact with Chelsea about a multi-million pound four-year contract, his agent confirmed today.

Reports had suggested that Ballack preferred a move to Internazionale or Real Madrid rather than London, but his agent Michael Becker said: "He would only move to a club where he has a better chance of winning the Champions League than at Bayern. Inter are currently third in Serie A, whereas Bayern are top in the German league.

"Nothing has been signed, but there will be ongoing contact with Chelsea"

"There has also been a change in the whole set-up at Real and we don't know where we stand - it's very confusing."

Ballack, 29, is out of contract at Bayern Munich at the end of the season, and his agent clearly expects him to end up at Stamford Bridge.

"Nothing has been signed, but there will be ongoing contact with Chelsea," added Becker. "There is strong interest from both sides. The trend is in this direction."


So, he seems set to join the Russian Foreign Legion...aka Chelski in the summer..Good for them, better for us. We can get a player with a longer shelf-life, and by the time he is 30, this player will be even better than Ballack...who is he? :dontkn:...my name is Bantan, not Braida, not Galliani, and certainly not Berlusconi..:D

[nefremo]

The only way I see Ballack at Milan is if Rui leaves. No........it is not because of positions on the field and it has nothing to do with that as Ballack can play anywhere............but it has more to do with the wages. Rui has a huge salary under his name. I am just gessing something around what Ballack would demand. So If Rui leaves, that leaves some money to go towards Ballack. What really gets me thinking about the whole situation is that Milan has been really quiet about him. I can almost sense something coming as our board has just been ignoring all the stories and have acted as if Ballack isn't even on the market.

[GavinMilan]

He is coming, and we all know it.

Ballack will be wearing the Red and Black

[Josh-Sheva]

No, not really, i think he is moving to Chelsea... just like it said on www.eurosport.com

[GavinMilan]

We will see where Ballack is heading for next season

[Interista]

I bet that won't go too well with the nerazurri faithful, especially that guy, who visited this forum a couple of days ago :5dito:


You mean me? :D :D :D :D :D

Ballack didn't refuse Inter just yet. According to most media, he's very close to signing.

Besides, even if we don't get him, there are other options for us this summer .

[GRE-NO-LI]

Inter will not win anything even with Ronaldinho Gaucho, Kaka, Shevchenko and Et'oo.

[Syn Shevaan]

Is Ballack going to move to Chelsea? Mark my word, No He Won't!!
Is he going to wear Madrid Jersey next season ? Don't even think about that.
Then where will he land next season?
Ballack will go to a club that will able to match his ambition, a club that has the most potential to win The European Cup next season, and according to the result in ECL between Milan vs Muenchen tonight, I can only say that he will consider 3 Clubs, Barcelona, Juventus, and Milan.
Juventus will have to kick either Nedved or Del Piero in order to sign the star.
Barcelona is a strong candidate instead, they can place Ballack in Giuly's place or Deco, Messi will be the first option next season.
Milan? well, Ballack will fit perfectly in red and black.
So , Chelsea? Forget about Ballack mr Jose!!

[Arildonardo]

We don't need Ballack, he's already almost 30. An judging by his last performances he is thinking more about money than football, so let's sign someone younger and more hungry for success! :dcool:

[Syn Shevaan]

Don't forget about zidane who was almost reach 30 when he moved to Madrid.

[GRE-NO-LI]

We don't need Ballack, he's already almost 30. An judging by his last performances he is thinking more about money than football, so let's sign someone younger and more hungry for success! :dcool:

I agree with you, Ballack can go to other side.

[Interista]

Inter will not win anything even with Ronaldinho Gaucho, Kaka, Shevchenko and Et'oo.

NOW THAT....is a ridiculous statament!

[SANT]

NOW THAT....is a ridiculous statament!

Gre-no-li, I have to blame you for making me agree with a Merdazurri :d55:

BTW, didn't you support Ballack arrival to ACM until recently????

[Josh-Sheva]

GRE - NO - LI,,, inter would win somethin if they had Ronaldinho, Kaka, Sheva and Eto'o,, but i think that it wouldnt be called inter anymore! Those players will dominate the game and score without even thinkin bout Materazzi and Cordoba etc.

so practically it woulrd not be called inter

Ballack is a very good player, i was impressed with the goal he scored against us!

[Kaka1899]

well the papers in england say that it is practacally sewen up that he is goin to chelsea! but ballack has said that he would like to play in germany or italy because england dosnt intrest him that much so we have a good chance

p.s is it a roumor but has fiorentina put in a offer for Ballack

:3band:

[GRE-NO-LI]

SANT:

I like Ballack's football very much, and of course I won't be sorry if he came, but personally I prefer a younger player like Sneijder, for instance.

And you don't have to agree with the merdazzuri: Inter is doomed to failure, they will not be a great tram anymore, even with the best players around!

[GRE-NO-LI]

GRE - NO - LI,,, inter would win somethin if they had Ronaldinho, Kaka, Sheva and Eto'o,, but i think that it wouldnt be called inter anymore! Those players will dominate the game and score without even thinkin bout Materazzi and Cordoba etc.

so practically it woulrd not be called inter


No dice, friend: they are eternally doomed by some unnamable incubbus! :delol: :delol: :delol:

[Georgian]

Balack is good, but getting old, we need youngsters, not players who cost too much and will play only 2 - 3 seasons aftwerwords.

about merdazurri: yes it seems they have some curse, I think their problem is that they do not know how to use and grow talent, for example Pirlo, they had him and let him go, now he is one of the best in the world and who they have instead of him? C.Zanetti and Cambiasso :) poor poor Inter:))))

[Georgian]

I do not agree with gattuso, I think in a team where you have so many technical midfielders you need guy like gennaro, yes he is not perfect but in this formation he fits, Milan is a team of characters, its not like Juve , its team of personalities which at a certain moment decide the outcome of the match, remember milan juve final?, when he just refused to be substituted in additional time?, and then he was like a rocket and to my mind contibuted a lot.

we need competition in team to keep high motivation but not from old players , we need talented young ambicious people here

[Syn Shevaan]

a good point of view by Georgian, if we stock all technical midfielder then our opponents can easily predict the way we play, it's not just about the quality of the players we have but also the balance that fit to our tactics