Former Germany captain Ballack retires

Michael Ballack's career ranged from 1995 through 2012 with teams in Germany and England.

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FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) -- Former Germany captain Michael Ballack is ending his football career.

Ballack announced his retirement on Tuesday, having been without a club since his contract with Bayer Leverkusen expired at the end of last season.

The 36-year-old midfielder played 98 games for Germany before being pushed out after missing the 2010 World Cup with an injury.

He played for Kaiserslautern, Leverkusen and Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga before moving to Chelsea. He then returned to Leverkusen but failed to make a big impact and was not offered a new contract.

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