Michael Ballack Discusses Failed 2004 Barcelona Transfer, La Liga Desire

Former Chelsea and Bayern Munich midfielder Michael Ballack has opened up about his desire to play in La Liga during his playing days, explaining just how he close he came to joining Barcelona in 2004 and how Real Madrid made an offer two years earlier. 

The German spoke to Marca's Euan McTear and was asked why he never made the move to Spain. He said:

"No regrets, but of course Real Madrid or La Liga was always something I was considering in terms of playing there because I liked the way they play football in the Spanish league at that time. Especially playing for Real Madrid or Barcelona, for every player that's a fantastic opportunity.

"The case was that I had an offer from Bayern Munich at that time [in 2002]. With the 2006 World Cup coming up in Germany, to be German and playing in Germany and being seen in Germany and playing for the national team was also a great opportunity. That was the first contact or decision when I had the opportunity to go to Spain.

"Then again, in 2004, with Barcelona. I wanted to go in 2004 to Barcelona. We were clear, but obviously the club [Bayern Munich] didn't let me go, or they asked for too much money. I don't know 100 per cent. There was an opportunity and it was really close, and I was ready to come, because there was some misunderstanding between me and [Bayern president] Uli Hoeness. There was also Euro 2004, where we went out in the first round, but I played quite well, so they decided not to let me go because I had a contract and I had no exit [clause]."

While Ballack explained how he wanted to join Barcelona, his career eventually took him to England instead. After impressive spells with Kaiserslautern, Bayer Leverkusen and Munich he joined Chelsea in 2006.

The 42-year-old won a Premier League title with the Blues and finished in second place in the 2007-08 UEFA Champions League. Perhaps the most iconic image of his career came against Barcelona, when he confronted official Tom Henning Ovrebo during the controversial Champions League semi-final against the Blaugrana.

The Catalans qualified for the final after several controversial decisions from Ovrebo, and Ballack captured the spirit of Chelsea fans perfectly:

Tom Jenkins/Getty Images

He returned to Germany in 2010 for a final spell with Leverkusen, the club where he first emerged as a world-class operator. With Die Werkself he lost a Champions League final in his initial stint, suffering heartbreak against Real.

The Bundesliga YouTube channel produced a profile on the Mannschaft legend:

It's fair to wonder how different Ballack's career could have been if he had joined either Spanish giant. In 2002 the Galactico era was in full swing in Madrid, but that team disappointed after their Champions League triumph and would not win another title until 2007. Perhaps a controlling midfielder like Ballack was exactly what they needed to complete the ambitious project.

Barcelona won the Champions League in 2006 and had their highs and lows in La Liga prior to the promotion of Pep Guardiola to manager in 2008, starting the most dominant stretch in club history. Guardiola got rid of several veteran legends including Deco and Ronaldinho, relying instead on the talent emerging from the academy.