Michael Ballack revealed he had an offer to join Manchester United before he moved to Chelsea in 2006 but he wasn’t convinced they were the force they once were.
Ballack had set his sights set on winning the Champions League – something he didn’t achieve during his illustrious career – and he felt Jose Mourinho’s side would have a better shot at winning Europe’s premier competition than Sir Alex Ferguson’s outfit.
As it turned out, Chelsea were beaten by United on penalties in the Champions League final in 2008 and Ferguson’s team won three consecutive league titles after Ballack joined the Blues.
But former Bayern Munich midfielder Ballack stood by his decision and explained the factors that motivated him to turn down a move to Manchester in favour of a transfer to Stamford Bridge.
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‘One of the first to show interest were Man United,’ Ballack told Sky Sports. ‘They had not had the best year.
‘Winning the league was one thing but for me it was always a dream to win the Champions League.
‘It was not easy to decide with which team I could really attack this trophy, because there are so many good clubs.
‘Man United in these days were not as good as before.
‘Chelsea had won the league twice with Jose Mourinho. They had invested in a lot of players, had an amazing squad.
‘Man United are an amazing club with a huge history but having huge ambitions also myself, I chose Chelsea. The package was really good, I felt comfortable.
‘London was also an argument to move to a great city. When you’re 29 you have a family, you want to make sure they’re comfortable.
‘I gave the sign to my agent quite early that I wanted to go to Chelsea. They were my preference.’
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