It's been exactly one year since Emilio Ballack died in a tragic quad bike accident at the age of just 18. His father Michael Ballack now dedicates emotional lines to him. The ex-footballer explains, among other things, that he will pray for his son's soul.
Ex-soccer professional Michael Ballack reminded of his son Emilio with an emotional post on his Instagram page. The then 18-year-old died in a fatal accident exactly one year ago, on August 5, 2021.
"My lovely angel, I remember your laughter, happiness and joy... I remember your light... with much love and much emotion today I will pray for your soul to rest in peace," he wrote former captain of the German national soccer team in English in his message.
"I will also pray for your brothers," adds the 45-year-old. "With all my love ... I hold you tight in my heart," Ballack concludes his touching message. He illustrated the post with a photo showing Emilio smiling happily in a white shirt from the side.
Emilio was from Michael Ballack's long-term relationship and marriage (2008-2012) to Simone Mecky-Ballack. The couple had three sons together. Born in 2002, Emilio was the second eldest son between his brothers Louis (born 2001) and Jordi (2005). He died in an accident involving a quad bike, in which he was buried under the overturned vehicle. The accident happened on a property in Portugal that Michael Ballack bought a few years ago.
In the past, Simone Mecky-Ballack had also reminded her deceased son on Instagram. However, her page on the social network is no longer accessible. In April, the 46-year-old publicly defended herself against hate messages in which she was accused of not mourning enough. The grief for Emilio will "never end", she made it clear. At the same time, however, it is also clear "that one cannot and should not cry all day".
In a moving RTL interview with Frauke Ludowig in June, she once again gave an insight into her inner life. "Of course there are days when I don't want to get up, I want to stay in bed and cry," said Mecky-Ballack in the conversation. But she doesn't allow that and doesn't want to fall into self-pity. Accordingly, she does not ask herself: "Why me?" Rather, when she thinks about her son, she is concerned with the question: "Why did this happen to him?"
