9th June 2010. Michael Ballack and Joe Cole were released by Chelsea on Wednesday as the Premier League and FA Cup champions prepare for next season. Both midfielders' contracts expire at the end of the month and the players are now free agents, the club said on its website. Ballack, Germany's national team captain, was ruled out of the World Cup after injuring his ankle in Chelsea's 1-0 win over Portsmouth in the FA Cup final.
He moved to Stamford Bridge four years ago after a glittering career with Bayern Munich. Ballack, who will be 34 in September, won three German league and cup doubles with Bayern before taking up the Premier League challenge. The midfielder, who took Germany to the final of Euro 2008, has been linked with a return to the Bundesliga. His agent, Michael Becker, told German broadcaster RTL that the player, who is on holiday in the US, was "completely surprised" by the news.
Becker said Ballack would have been willing to take a pay cut to stay at Chelsea and would have accepted a one-year deal with an option for a second. Cole, who is with England at the World Cup in South Africa, has been at Chelsea for seven years since leaving West Ham. He struggled to force his way into the Chelsea team this season after returning in September from an eight-month layoff with a knee injury.
The 28-year-old creative midfielder helped Chelsea win the Premier League in 2005 and 2006 under former coach Jose Mourinho, but his progress has since been hampered by injuries. He spent much of the 2006-07 season on the sidelines and ruptured a cruciate ligament in January 2009, Cole scored the last of his 40 goals for Chelsea in April, as Carlo Ancelotti's side beat title rival Manchester United 2-1 at Old Trafford to virtually secure the league championship.
Along with United, the Londoner has been linked with two of Chelsea's city rivals, Arsenal and Tottenham. Though Arsenal finished third last season and has a strong track record of Champions League football, Spurs has now reached the competition's qualifiers for the first time and is coached by Harry Redknapp, Cole's former boss at West Ham where he came up through the ranks. Redknapp has also declared his interest in Cole, telling British media on Tuesday: "He is a great player, his contract is up and he is on a free transfer. When he returns I would love to talk to him about coming to Spurs."
