Former Chelsea and Germany midfielder Michael Ballack is reportedly dating 21-year-old model Sophia Schneiderhan, finding a portion of comfort amid the heartbreak of losing his teenage son.
Ballack was left devastated and heartbroken last August when his son Emilio passed away after a tragic quad bike accident in Portugal. The 18-year-old lost control of the vehicle and ended up underneath the quad on a public road.
The 45-year-old ex-midfielder is thought to have grown closer to Schneiderhan in the aftermath of his son's death. Ballack was with French journalist Natacha Tannous at the time of Emilio's tragic passing, and she posted a emotional tribute to him a few days after his passing.
The pair split up not long after, which prompted Ballack to start dating Schneiderhan, according to German newspaper Bild. Friends of the new couple told the outlet that the 24-year age gap does not bother either of them, and that they have a lot in common and sparks have flew ever since.
Schneiderhan is the daughter of a doctor and has over 54,000 followers on Instagram. The duo have been seen kissing in public and spotted out in a trendy district of Berlin. Ballack was also pictured visiting Art Basel, a fair for Modern and contemporary art, with his much-younger girlfriend.
The tragedy involving Ballack's son happened in Troia back in August - just a few miles south of Lisbon. Emilio's grandma had raised the issue when the quad flipped over. Firefighters were among the emergency services sent to the scene of the accident were unable to keep him alive.
Emilio was the second of three sons Ballack had with with long-time partner Simone Lambe. The couple were together for a number of years before splitting into 2012.
Ballack started his career in his native Germany and made a name for himself at Bayer Leverkusen, where he scored 37 goals in 110 appearances. This earned him a big-money move to Bayern Munich and he went on to win three Bundesliga titles, netting 67 times in 152 games.
A switch to the Premier League with Chelsea followed, winning the Premier League title, the League Cup and the FA Cup three times during his four-year stint in west London. He was also capped 98 times for Germany.