I can't pay speeding fine as I'm out of work and have no money coming in, insists former £120k-a-week Chelsea star Michael Ballack
At the wheel: Michael Ballack, in his car in Munich, Germany (file pic), could lose his license after being caught speeding on a Spanish motorway
Former Chelsea star Michael Ballack today tried to swerve a hefty speeding fine by saying he is 'out of work' and 'doesn't have any money coming in'.
Ballack signed a £120,000-a-week deal with Chelsea in 2006 and had been earning over £80,000 a week with the Blues as recently as 2010.
A lawyer for the ex-German captain, who ended his playing career after being released by Bayer Leverkusen in the summer, said he should only pay a tenth of the €10,000 (£8,000) fine being threatened.
Spanish police busted the wealthy ex-Germany captain doing 131mph (211kmh) in his all-terrain Audi U7 on the A-5 motorway in the west of the country, near the town of Trujillo, on October 17.
He was allegedly driving 56mph (91kmh) faster than the permitted 75mph (120kmh) limit - and was caught by a mobile speed camera.
A first court hearing, held the day after his arrest, heard that he faced a two-year driving ban and a €10,000 fine.
But his lawyer Jesús Gallego Rol today asked the Caceres court for a one-year ban and a €1,000 fine - because Ballack is not currently earning any money and is out of work.
Heyday: Michael Ballack, then of Chelsea is fouled by Kevin Prince Boateng of Portsmouth during the 2010 FA Cup Final
Back at the Bridge: Ballack returns to Chelsea with Bayer Leverkusen last season
He said: 'Just because he is a famous footballer doesn't mean he has any money coming in.'
He also pointed out that to drive at such speed in Germany was not a crime.
The 36-year-old did not attend the hearing because the alleged crime does not carry a prison sentence. The final sentence is expected to be passed later today.
He began his professional career in 1995, winning the first of four Bundesliga titles with Kaiserslautern in 1998.
He won three titles in four years with Bayern Munich before moving to Chelsea, where he won the Premier League, the FA Cup three times and the Carling Cup.
He spent the final two seasons of his career with Leverkusen.
