Michael Ballack
I was able to turn my hobby into my profession, and I am thankful for that. But I have other interests beside football, and I can devote my time to them now.Collection: Thankful
You need a certain amount of inner aggression, a bit of anger about you and the others in order to give your maximum.Collection: Anger
Things aren't always full of sunshine, there has to be friction at times as well.
When you a buy a player like Ozil, you know his strengths and Arsene Wenger knows, I think, where he is at his best.
A player can't request on what position he wants to play, and it is the same with the captaincy. One should respect this, there are hierarchies.
Germany is a nation which must always win.
Titles are sometimes overrated.
For 17 years, I played at the highest level.
I was on the lucky side of life.
I would have loved to have had a farewell match, and would have wanted the DFB to make that offer. But certain people did not plan that for me. I have to accept that.
Sometimes a new coach can find it not easy.
When I moved to Chelsea, it was a big, big challenge and experience for me at the time to play with so many good players.
I have said in the past that I would be happy to see out my career at Chelsea. I moved here to play in the best league in the world with one of the strongest teams.
We know the history of players at Real Madrid and things are not easy at that club.
As it is, in football if you are on top and winning games everyone wants to play well against you, put in more effort and beat you.
We should integrate the quality of ex-players at the highest level more in football, especially in the youth sector. That is absolutely crucial for me.
When evaluating the players, too little emphasis is placed on the individual. Reaction times are measured, stress situations are simulated, sleep behaviour is analysed, eating behaviour, how the body reacts - everything is available. The control over the players has got out of hand. They are judged on this data, albeit subjectively. That's madness.
A lot of things have to come together to win a World Cup.
Sometimes you can lose games unluckily or the other team is better than you and has a great day as well. That can happen in football.
In 2006 I ended up at Chelsea on a free transfer, so Bayern did not see a euro for me.
I think that's the philosophy of all top teams - to educate young, top players and to give them the possibility to play.
At Bayern you need other characteristics to assert yourself. Just being good is not enough there.
Ancelotti showed in the past, that he can work with different teams and different players.
The Premier League is a different kind of league, in terms of physical play.
When you are not winning, the coach is more or less the weakest person in the team who can be replaced.
It is really difficult, after Jose Mourinho, to work at Chelsea. It could cause a problem for any manager because Mourinho had such a relationship with the players and the fans.
I had a great career. But not to win a big international title is also part of my career.
I had a lot of emotional days at Chelsea, some that did not really end well, especially in the Champions League.
As soon as I knew I was leaving Chelsea, our first thought was to return to Germany.
With a coach like Mourinho, it's probably easier for a club to get top stars.
You don't step back and have less motivation when you get older, the opposite is true. You become more focused, more professional in terms of things like looking after your body and more determined because you can see all the younger players coming up, looking for your place.
When you're young it's football, football, football. Then you get a family, kids come into things and you find you have a broader view of life. You get your inspiration from many different places.
I've had a few injuries and if you can't carry on, that's always a bad sign. Sometimes it's bruising or sometimes it's a nerve that stops you.
The first league game always feels different from the pre-season friendlies.
Of course, you want to win something and be as successful as possible as an individual player. It is normal to look around and think, 'With what club can I achieve that with?'
Chelsea is an ambitious club and it will always be possible that a coach and the players are competitive at the highest level.
Players sometimes don't want to have this heavy weight on their shoulders to carry the team or to get asked in certain situations to have that responsibility.
Football is not always harmonious.
Sure, Mourinho was obviously crucial for my move to Chelsea.
Football has never been about young or old players - it is about good or bad players. If you're 13 or 31 and good enough, you're not too young or old.
It's always disappointing to lose a final.
I didn't join Chelsea to lose things. I came because the Premier League is the strongest in the world and I am playing for one of the strongest teams.
I wanted to go outside of Germany and I saw English football as a big, big challenge.
I've learned to adapt to the pace of the English game and a different style of football in the Premier League.
At 36 years old I can look back on a long and wonderful time in professional football, which I could never have dreamed of as a child.
It was a privilege to work with world-class coaches and fantastic players.
Having 18 or 20 class players is a luxurious problem, and it doesn't mean that you have to play them all.
If too much harmony dominates, then aggression can get lost.
When I see Mario Gotze, his development does not go in the right direction. He has outstanding qualities, but he has not reached his potential for whatever reason. His charisma is not so good, fellow players, coaches, fans and the media do not feel that he is fighting against his current situation. He's more an introvert player.
It's good for your career as a sportsman if you watch other professional sports - how they're behaving and how they react in difficult situations.