Little Kaiser Ballack grows up at last

Michael Ballack, known to German fans as the Little Kaiser, needed time to live up to his nickname.

The 25-year-old Ballack still has a long way to go to match the big Kaiser, Franz Beckenbauer, but his precious contribution to Germany's qualification for next year's World Cup finals suggests he has a bright future.

The elegant Bayer Leverkusen player scored twice in his side's 4-1 victory over Ukraine in the second leg of their playoff on Wednesday.

He was outstanding throughout with fine midfield play, serving up a powerful cocktail of skill and determination to tear off his tag as a gifted but somewhat erratic footballer.

Sometimes perceived as slightly arrogant and more concerned about his good looks than his prowess on a football pitch, Ballack took care of that reputation as well by dedicating his goals to his baby son, Louis.

"My goals are for him," he said. "When he grows up he can watch the video and I hope he will be proud of his dad."

The tall, dark-haired Ballack has become so popular that the mass-circulation Bild chose to put him on their front page twice last week.

FANS' FAVOURITE

On Thursday he was seen in a jubilant pose, clenching his fist and on Friday he was up there again, with a headline reading: "Everybody loves Ballack, especially women."

The handsome young man is indeed a favourite with female fans despite his relationship with Simone, his girlfriend for three-and-a-half years and the mother of their little boy.

Born in Goerlitz, in what was then communist East Germany, Ballack learned his trade within the East German system at Chemnitz, then called Karl-Marx-Stadt.

He was only 20 when he joined the Bundesliga by moving to Kaiserslautern, where he clashed with coach Otto Rehhagel, who acknowledged his capability but criticised his nonchalance.

"The young man still has a lot to learn in many things," Rehhagel said when Ballack, who was tired of being substituted, left for Leverkusen in 1999.

He matured there under the guidance of coach Christoph Daum. Everybody was naming Hertha Berlin's Sebastian Deisler as the country's most promising player when Daum described Ballack as the greatest talent in German soccer.

But though he shone for his club, he looked sluggish in the Germany shirt and some started questioning whether he would ever grow up.

IMAGE PROBLEM

Miles away from the gritty players with limited technical ability but great fighting qualities whom the Germans have always loved, the subtle midfielder with the delicate touch had a real image problem.

"I look like I'm not trying hard enough but that's my style," he offered. "I understand it can be deceiving."

Pressure on his shoulders only increased after he put up a brave performance at last in the first leg of the Ukraine playoff, poaching the equaliser in a 1-1 draw last weekend in Kiev which kept Germany's hopes alive.

"The pressure we had to cope with in the build-up to the game was unbelievable," he said after delivering everything that was asked from him and a little more in the Dortmund match.

"If it was like that all the time, it would be unbearable."

Now everybody wants him, with Arsenal and Real Madrid reportedly having made offers. But Bayern Munich commercial manager Uli Hoeness said he would probably join the European champions, where he would play alongside Deisler next season.

"I think he can really reach a new dimension if he does come to us," Hoeness said.