Why Chelsea fans should give Ballack the recognition he deserves on Tuesday night

By Martin Lipton

Published 10:54 12/09/11

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Chelsea fans have the chance to show how much they respect players who never let them down when Bayer Leverkusen come to town.

The presence of Michael Ballack in the Leverkusen squad should be a reminder to many at the Bridge of how much of a mistake it was when Carlo Ancelotti acquiesced in his unwanted departure in the summer of 2010.

Ballack was unfortunate in that his arrival became entangled in the travails of Andriy Shevchenko, with many forgetting quite how keen Jose Mourinho was to have acquired the German on a free transfer from Bayern Munich.

While Ballack fell out with Mourinho - after being accused by some figures at Chelsea on milking what eventually proved to be a career-threatening injury - he grew into a vital member of the dressing room under the Special One's successors.

Ballack was strong on the pitch, with 25 goals in 168 games plus more than his fair share of assists.

But equally robust off it, as keen on no-holds-barred dressing room inquests as John Terry or anybody else. For Ballack, if there was a truth that needed to be said, he said it and he was the glue that helped hold the club together on more than one occasion.

Hopefully, the Chelsea fans will acknowledge that this week. Ballack deserves a final goodbye.

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