Mod Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 On the times online site. Not much word anywhere else but can't see it being wrong. The initial three-year contract signed when he joined on a free transfer from Bayern Munich in 2006 expires this summer and both parties have agreed to trigger an extension clause, which will be announced imminently. Ballack had hoped to secure an additional two-year contract, but was told that no player will be offered more than a one-year extension until a new manager is appointed. Ballack’s new contract ensures that he retains his position as one of the highest-paid players at the club, just behind John Terry and Frank Lampard but ahead of Drogba, which is known to be a source of discontent to the Ivory Coast striker. Drogba, 31, is seeking a four-year deal but the club are unwilling to meet his demands and a lengthy stand-off is likely. However, Guus Hiddink, the interim manager, insisted that Drogba’s behaviour would not affect his long-term future. Source to full report Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blizeH Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 Good news is this :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g3.7 Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 pleased with that, and taking it on a year by year basis is sensible. hasn't been a good season for him personally, but usually he's the kind of player I would want when things are going badly. his switching positions with essien has seen both players in good form since ess returned. I'm pleased, though I suspect I'll be amongst few. p.s. though to give him a contract before we find out how serious his punishment is could be a risk. uefa are not predictable with these things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueday3 Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 I was hoping he would take a dock in pay, but I am pleased as well. He has been playing really well since he dropped back into a more defensive role. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ducavis Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 Our prehistoric footballers collection keeps on growing, who the f makes this decisions. It is a step in the wrong direction, why not release him and save money on his wages for Christ sake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PloKoon13 Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 Ballack as part of a swap deal for Ribéry? I wasn't especially keen on keeping him, to be honest... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youlots Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 "Both parties have agreed to trigger an extension clause.." As always, shame we can't see the terms & conditions - options clauses are usually only exercisable by one party - and to see whether there was any side/collateral/triparatite agreement as between Ballack, Chels & Adidas exercised when the contract was first signed. I've always assumed there was in order to justify the wage bill and, if so, with only a year to go till South Africa, the marketing aspect in the lead up which will no doubt involve the usual promotional guff from Adidas and the other frocksters and would involve Ballack et al. He hasn't had the best of seasons. It'd be great if he really gave us his all week in week out next year for the title race and could knock in say 10 goals. IMO he probably takes more stick than he really deserves: probably because there's a tendency at times to just compare him with Frank and the latter's workrate - and that's a tall order for anyone to measure up against. I've always thought Ballack's had great positional sense and that alone can sometimes be, by itself, of immense value & easily missed by some when rating midfielders. He has slowed down a bit obviously but I think he's still got something to offer us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rahul Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 I am not too pleased. I hoped he'd be among the first to be shown the door. Biggest reason being he's not value for money. Release him and get a new creative midfielder, of the Diego mold. Anyway, lets hope its for the best! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 I would have preferred to have let him go along with Deco and Anelka. Help recoup some money, bring in some new blood and lower the age of the squad. Plus give Mikel a regular starting role. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjd Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 Confused by this really. Really dont think he has done anywhere near enough to justify it, particularly on those wages. I thought we were meant to be lowering the average age of the squad and getting younger hungry players. Still having said all that, ive often commented that he seems to be coasting and whilst i never buy into the 'he runs around a lot stat' that many seem to big up Wednesday night showed he cared. Just look at this picture. Look at his face. He cared. Just as much as we cared. He cared for CFC and it meant a lot. You wont get Anelka doing that i guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icecoolguy22 Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 I dont think he is worth the money for another season, just went missing in too many matches. I imagine by keeping him we will cut Deco loose at the end of the season, to be honest I don't mind giving Deco another chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ducavis Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 I dont think he is worth the money for another season, just went missing in too many matches. I imagine by keeping him we will cut Deco loose at the end of the season, to be honest I don't mind giving Deco another chance. Give Deco another chance!? Ok everyone come get a new contract, Belletti, Carvalho and hey Drogba here is your improved 4 year contract. I predict we won't win the premiership if we keep collecting this players. No wonder we want Ancelotti, Ballack will probably play till he is 40. What if he doesn't fit into the new manager's plan? The £121k guarantees him a starting place next season, do we want this? No. Btw we are also paying Sheva £7m to walk away! There goes the transfer kitty!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pumpking Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 Happy he's staying. Wish it was for less money though. Seems like he'd get a lot less stick. Aren.t we losing Essien and Mikel for the ACN next season? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 To be honest, I think this is a mistake, purely because we shouldn't be making any decisions about who stays/goes/is brought in until our sodding manager is in place, so HE can decide who he wants in his squad for next season. If it's going to be Guus and we just haven't announced it/sorted it out yet, then that's fine (and extremely good news) but if not, then making decisions now doesn't really make any sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexelk Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 Confused by this really. Really dont think he has done anywhere near enough to justify it, particularly on those wages.I thought we were meant to be lowering the average age of the squad and getting younger hungry players. Still having said all that, ive often commented that he seems to be coasting and whilst i never buy into the 'he runs around a lot stat' that many seem to big up Wednesday night showed he cared. Just look at this picture. Look at his face. He cared. Just as much as we cared. He cared for CFC and it meant a lot. You wont get Anelka doing that i guess. ahhhhhhhhh ffs was beginning to think it wasn't going to happen as its pretty late in the season. he's not worth anywhere near that amount and in my opinion there is no chance of him improving on probably the worst season of football of all time from a "world class" player was glad 2 see him chase the ref like that as it shows he still has the drive and passion to win (i think its more about that rather than a love of chelsea. though in saying that, i'd love someone for paying me 121k a week for doing sweet f a) i lol at the km ran stat as well. he must run laps of the pitch cause he sure as hell doesnt run to anywhere where he can affect a game Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blizeH Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 He was brilliant against Barcelona, in our biggest game of the season so far. Very much proves he's still worth having. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g3.7 Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 one of the big pluses is of course that we'll have another season AT LEAST of sexelk either crying like a little girl or sticking his head in the sand when talking about ballack, which is always a welcome distraction to the seriousness of adult conversation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moi Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 one of the big pluses is of course that we'll have another season AT LEAST of sexelk either crying like a little girl or sticking his head in the sand when talking about ballack, which is always a welcome distraction to the seriousness of adult conversation. Do all your clouds have silver linings, G4? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluegraham Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 once again another bit off sh*t business from kenyon i never really liked ballack since he joined i like the man as a person but he never should b on the moneys hes on the only real thing he done was score 2 against man utd hes just 2 old now hes getting in the way of our younger players Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zola's Love Child Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 Not overjoyed about this. Especially if it means that we're conceding another year of moving forward with a younger squad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PloKoon13 Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 Aren.t we losing Essien and Mikel for the ACN next season? Good point! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WV2 Blue Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 Not a good bit of business for me.... :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexelk Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 one of the big pluses is of course that we'll have another season AT LEAST of sexelk either crying like a little girl or sticking his head in the sand when talking about ballack, which is always a welcome distraction to the seriousness of adult conversation. another season of looking the other way when he passes the ball straight to the opposition and glaring missed chances there is absolutely nothing that ballack does on the pitch that warrants anywhere close to that wage and nothing he does that warrants a starting place every week Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueday3 Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 He definitely misplaced a lot of passes in the middle part of the season when we were going through a rough patch. But if he has been as inaccurate lately I haven't noticed it. I thought he was superb Wednesday, and has been pretty good lately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Chelsea Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 i'm not sure about this Ballack has offered very little this season we need to be reducing the age of the squad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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