Michael Ballack Quotes

I am pretty confident I can adapt to the style of the Premier League.

Ligue 1 is a very physical league. In each team, there are very fast players, dangerous wide men with plenty of speed and endurance.

In the Premier League, you can't play against anyone if you don't play at a high pace.

The pace is unbelievable in the Premier League.

People have no idea how hard football is, absolutely no idea. It's all about pace. You can say, 'Yeah, you've got speed of thought' - but you've got to have a little bit of a zip.

I like the way football is played in England: the speed, the style of play, the high rhythm.

I don't think the physical part of English football would be a problem. When you get the ball, you need to be ready. The defenders here are very tough. I like that.

I knew that, to be the best right-back in the world, I had to improve my fitness so I could run up and down constantly for 90 minutes.

You realise you have to be physically strong when you come to the Premier League because it is a very intensive league.

It's why the Premier League is watched so much all over the world: because it has more pace and more physicality than in any other league.

The best players try to not slow down when they put the pads on.

I think my style is perfectly suited to the way the game is played in the U.K.

The Premier League has a lot of intensity, a lot of physicality.

The pace of the game has changed even while I've been a player. It always seems to be getting quicker. You need to be fast, quick to get around the park, need to be able to press and defend and get in peoples' faces, and you need quality on the ball.

I think I can handle the pressure and am pretty confident I can adapt to the style of the Premier League.

Obviously, I don't have any real speed to work with so I have to use other things. The modern game is very speed based so as soon as managers see that you haven't got that pace it can be tough.

I used to play football for Real Madrid, and to be on stage for two hours, I can tell you it takes the same amount of strength.

It's always a battle to play against Diego Costa.

It is very tough to beat an English team. The type of football they play is only in the Premier League. They defend as though their lives depend on it. And they are very successful.

I really like live football. I like the English style, which is very straightforward.

Those years in Denmark changed my game and how I played football.

It is very hard to find a good defender who is strong and good with the ball. Very hard.

It gives me a lot of confidence to play with my feet, and I have to be focused for 90 minutes.

When I play, I like to use my pace and to link up with my team-mates.

Coming from League One, a lot of tackles go in, and that is where I've learned my trade.