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Michael Ballack (born September 26, 1976, Gƶrlitz, East Germany [now in Germany]) is a German professional football (soccer) midfielder who was named the German Footballer of the Year three times (2002, 2003, 2005). Ballack grew up in Chemnitz in East Germany during the era of a divided Germany. There he played youth football with FC Karl-Marx-Stadt (Chemnitzer FC from 1990). Chemnitz gave him his first professional contract in 1995, and in 1997 he transferred to...