Michael Ballack, who won 98 caps for Germany and scored 42 international goals, has retired from football, a statement released through his lawyer said.

Ballack, 36, began his professional career at Chemnitzer in 1995 and went on to play for Kaiserslautern, Bayer Leverkusen (twice), Bayern Munich and Chelsea. He had been without a club since leaving Leverkusen at the end of last season, despite being linked with a move to the Australian A-League.

His outstanding career saw him ...

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