Former Chelsea midfielder warns Chelsea players, especially Diego Costa to beware of ‘extravagant’ riches.
Ballcack was handsomely paid during his four years at Stamford Bridge but even he can only be amazed at the figures that have been quoted to Diego Costa from the Chinese club Tianjin Quanjian. “Firstly, I have to congratulate him – to get an offer like this,” Ballack says, with a broad smile. “I never got an offer like this, although I got good money, as well.”
Tianjin Quanjian wanted Costa so badly this month that they were prepared to pay him an annual wage of £30m, and Ballack does not consider it a surprise of any sort that the Chelsea striker had his head turned. Who would not consider that kind of money, Ballack argues?
But as the dust settles – for now – on the episode, with the Brazilian-born Spain international back in the Chelsea team and back scoring goals, Ballack spoke eloquently about the distorting effect of the money from China and how, for the very top players, it had to be ignored.
“It seems to be another level since the guys from China disturbed the market a bit and the brains of the players,” Ballack says, as reported by The Guardian UK. “You love what you do but it’s still a job and you are limited in the time to earn money and you think about it if someone makes you a crazy offer. It’s difficult for the clubs to put all the players who get a crazy offer back in line.
“China’s league is not well known [whereas] England has a history, and so does Spain and Germany and Europe as a whole. Football in Europe is No1 – that is what everyone watches because the best players in the world compete in this area. I don’t want to say it should be like this forever because the market regulates itself but it is something you should think about as a player.”
Ballack has enjoyed watching Chelsea under Antonio Conte this season, although he does not consider it a surprise that they are on top of the table. The surprise, Ballack says, was that they were “so bad last year”. The club’s lack of European football is a “massive advantage” as it has allowed Conte to work intensively on fitness during the weeks, which “you normally can’t do when you play international games; other teams have to train totally differently”.
Ballack believes that Conte is the ideal manager to handle Costa. “Costa has this Brazilian blood,” Ballack says. “Of course, South Americans are different from Europeans; I knew that when we played them. So, there is an emotional aspect, if you can find the right access. But you can also use toughness. Conte took him out of the squad, which was an understandable situation. Costa’s answer was good, as well. They are two high-class professionals, dealing with each other.”
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