Michael Ballack has spoken publicly for the first time about the death of his 18-year-old son Emilio, who died in a quad bike accident in Portugal in 2021. The former Chelsea and Germany midfielder broke down during an interview with Sky Germany, titled 'My Story'.
Emilio, the middle of Ballack's three sons, died near the family's holiday home. His older brother Louis is one year older, and younger sibling Jordi was born three years after Emilio. Ballack, visibly distraught, struggled to find words when asked about the impact of the loss. He paused before repeating the word 'difficult'.
Ballack said: '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.' He added that the tragedy has intensified his fears for his other children and reinforced his responsibility as a parent.
Reflecting on how his perspective on life has changed, Ballack said: 'Life is precious... That luck and misfortune also play a major role. Fate... things just happen. Despite all the talk of fate, I naturally want to face it. That gives me strength again.'
