Retired Bayern Munich and Chelsea legend Michael Ballack has opened up on the tragic death of his son for the first time in a heartbreaking video this week. The former Germany midfielder's world was turned upside down in 2021 when Emilio, 18, passed away after his quad bike tipped backwards and crushed him following a family barbecue.
As reported by the Daily Mail, police said the teenager had been riding on an uneven piece of land when the bike rolled backwards and fell on top of him. Firefighters had to pull him free of the wreck before medics tried to revive him, but their efforts weren't enough and he was pronounced dead at the scene, near the family's holiday home at the Villas do Mar estate in Portugal.
Still involved with the beautiful game through his role in football agency, where he notably takes care of Bayern youngster Lennart Karl's contract and career negotiations, Ballack reflected on the ordeal in an interview with Sky titled 'My Story,' and he was asked how he dealt with the loss.
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Ballack Opens His Heart on the Pain of Losing His Son
Michael Ballack
After taking a moment's pause to hold back his tears, the 41-year-old said, in German, that dealing with his loss has been "difficult," before pausing again and repeating the phrase. He added (watch the full interview below):
"You can't imagine it. You can't even describe it in words. It's a process of repression. Everyone deals with it differently. I can hardly talk about him at all. I'd like to say much more, but it overwhelms me emotionally.
"That's why it's a process of denial, where you try to cope through everyday life, through many things that motivate you - work, family, your other sons."
He continued: "Of course, you love your children more than anything and want to give them as much stability, warmth, and security in life as possible. That's the responsibility you bear as a parent. Such a loss naturally intensifies that even more. Of course, you then have greater fears. What else could happen?"
How Ballack's Perspective on Life has Changed in Recent Years
Ballack
Emilio was the middle child of Ballack's three sons - born in 2002 to then-girlfriend Simone Lambe, who Ballack would marry in 2008 before their divorce in 2012. Eldest son Louis was born in 2001, and youngest Jordi was born in 2005.
Pressed about whether his perspective on life had changed since his son's passing, the three-time German Player of the Year candidly concluded: "Life is precious. That the life we lead is absolutely privileged. That luck and misfortune also play a major role. Fate. You can call it what you want, but things just happen.
"Despite all the talk of fate, I naturally want to face it. That gives me strength again, this task, and at the same time, the realisation that life goes on."