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PREPARING SOUTH AFRICA FOR THE WORLD |
Michael Ballack (born 26 September 1976) represents Chelsea at club level and is the captain of the German national football team. He is among the top goal scorers in the history of his country. He was selected by Pelé as one of FIFA's 100 Greatest Living Players, and as the UEFA Club Midfielder of the Year in 2002. He has won the German Footballer of the Year award three times - in 2002, 2003 and 2005. He spoke to CNN about the 2010 World Cup...  You're coming up to your third World Cup. How have the experience in 2002 and 2006 affected how you will approach the next World Cup? Once I finished second, once I finished third, so one place improvement. I think it's a bit similar to the past that when we go in the tournament we have a good team, we played a good qualification, but we are not one of the top favourites so maybe it plays a little into our hands. We have quite a young team, and if there is not too much pressure on the team maybe it will help the team a little bit. You've had two great honours now, or you will have. You've had playing a World Cup on home soil in Germany and we're coming up to the first World Cup to ever be held in Africa, you've been lucky with how your career's been timed. Germany was so well organised, everybody expects the same now, but it's a totally different thing now. The fans have a different mentality. lt will be a lot different but in a good way hopefully. That's why I think everybody is looking forward to it. You're on 98 caps, assuming Germany do well in the World Cup you'll be well over the 100 mark and really amongst some of the top players that have ever played for Germany. I think no one's catch Lothar are they? But is that important to you, how you're remembered in the history of your countries players? There's not really a target, 100 is a big number and hopefully I can reach them soon what comes after I will see. I've really enjoyed the times I've played for Germany and every game is special for me, so hopefully I can play a few more. Does it make you laugh, you play your football in England now and we're always up in arms if England make it to a quarter final or a semi final, and Germany seem to make it to the final everytime. It's completely different. A lot of people in England ask me how can you do this with your country because sometimes we go into a tournament and we are not the favourites but we can always do well and that's a quality we have. I don't know where it comes from, maybe the history, but we can be really concentrated during the tournament and especially in the big events most of the time we've done really well. * Tune into CNN's monthly World Cup program SA 2010 on DSTV on the following dates: April 30: 2100 CAT May 1: 1400 CAT May 2: 2100 CAT May 3: 1400 CAT more interviews...
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