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Michael Ballack in 2019
Photo: imago images / Jan Huebner
The son of the former national soccer player Michael Ballack, Emilio Ballack, is dead. This was confirmed by the Portuguese forces of the Reuters news agency.
A spokesman for the emergency service in Setubal said that Emilio Ballack had an accident around 2 a.m. in Tróia, south of Lisbon.
According to local media, the 18-year-old was on a quad bike.
Ballack's former club Bayern Munich condoled the deceased's family in a statement that evening and confirmed the death.
"This news is a big shock for the entire FC Bayern family and for me personally," said Bayern President Herbert Hainer.
He now wishes the family "all the strength in the world".
Oliver Kahn, the club's chairman and former team-mate Ballack, was deeply shaken.
"In a moment like this there are no words."
Ballack's former clubs FC Chelsea, Bayer Leverkusen and Chemnitzer FC had already responded to media reports on Emilio Ballack's death and expressed their condolences to the family.
"We mourn the boy," said Bayer Sport Managing Director Rudi Völler: "We all here at Bayer 04 wish the whole Ballack family an incredible amount of strength."
Emilio Ballack is the second of Michael and Simone Ballack's three sons.
fek / Reuters