First in the Berlin Oberliga and after 1990 in the Oberliga North East. He signed for FC Nürnberg in 1995. In the second division, the defender is unable to prevent the team being relegated to the third tier but he does catch the attention of a range of Bundesliga scouts in 33 appearances. At the age of 22, he joined the Werkself along with his brother Niko who came from Hertha Berlin. In his first season under coach Christoph Daum he was not a regular first choice but then he broke through and ended up playing 162 games for the Werkself.
In 2001, the international player, who gained 84 caps for Croatia and took part in two World Cups (2002 and 2006) and two European Championships (2004 and 2008), signed for Bayern Munich. In the next four years at Bayern he won the Bundesliga title twice, the DFB Pokal twice and the World Club Cup in 2001.
His next club for two years was the top Italian side Juventus although, after Robert's first season, they were demoted due to a match fixing scandal. He stayed in Turin and regained top-flight status with the Old Lady. In 2007 he returned to the Bundesliga to play for Borussia Dortmund. He ended his playing career in the winter of 2010 for the Croat serial champions Dynamo Zagreb where he won two titles. Robert hung up his boots after that season.
As assistant coach to his brother Niko he worked with the Croatia team from 2013 and later for Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayern Munich and AS Monaco. The Kovac brothers are currently at VfL Wolfsburg.
Dear Robert, many happy returns on your 50th. Have a great time and stay fit and healthy!
Michael Ballack was born on 26 September 1976 in Görlitz, in what was then East Germany. His talent for football became apparent at an early age. After his family moved to Karl-Marx-Stadt – now Chemnitz – he began playing football for BSG Motor ‘Fritz Heckert’ Karl-Marx-Stadt, where he steadily developed his skills. From Year 7 onwards, he attended the Children’s and Youth Sports School and received systematic sporting support, which, in 1988 – due to his growing skill as a player – led to a move to FC Karl-Marx-Stadt. At the age of 16, he had to take a six-month break due to growth problems, but after that, Michael was unstoppable.
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José Elias Moedim Júnior, known as Zé Elias, was born on 25 September 1976 in São Paulo. He received his football training at Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, or Corinthians for short, and was promoted to the first team at the age of just 17. PSV Eindhoven had already taken notice of him by this stage, but the move to Europe was still too early for him. The tenacious defensive midfielder established himself in the first team over the following three years. With Corinthians, Zé Elias won the São Paulo City Championship and the Brazilian Cup in 1995. With his excellent vision, his determination and his assured ball control, he made a significant contribution to his team’s success.
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In their second season in Bundesliga 2 North, the Werkself face Fortuna Köln at their home ground, the Ulrich Haberland Stadium, on matchday 7. Both teams are level on seven points, sitting eighth and ninth in the table.
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In this video you can see impressive and important goals in the history of Bayer 04 from the month of September. It's not always about the beauty of the goals, but also a reminder of special games and players.
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September gets off to a disastrous start, though not for the Werkself: the German national team, featuring Bayer 04 players Jens Nowotny, Michael Ballack and Oliver Neuville, suffer a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of England in a World Cup qualifier at the Olympic Stadium in Munich. Jens Nowotny, in particular, came in for sharp criticism. With this defeat, Germany’s direct qualification is now hanging in the balance.
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