Ex-Chelsea star Michael Ballack, 47, steals a kiss from his 21- year-old lover: Footballer makes rare public appearance with model who was friends with his teen son before his tragic death two years ago in quad bike accident

• Michael Ballack was spotted stooping in for a kiss with Sophia Schneiderhan, 21
• Their friends have previously said neither is bothered by the 26-year age gap

Germany and Chelsea legend Michael Ballack has been pictured looking happy and in love with the 21-year-old friend of his late son Emilio, almost two years after the 18-year-old was killed in a quad biking tragedy.

Ballack, 47, was pictured with his arm around girlfriend Sophia Schneiderhan as they strolled through Chelsea, London, the neighborhood the star used to call home during his playing days.

In another picture, Ballack was spotted stooping in for a kiss with model Schneiderhan whilst they held hands.

It is believed the two got particularly close after Ballack’s son Emilio died in a fatal quad biking accident in Lisbon, Portugal, in 2021. Schneiderhan was a close friend of Emilio, and the pair have been loved-up ever since.

Friends of Ballack and Schneiderhan have previously shared that they believe the relationship has been good for the former footballer and that neither was bothered by the 26-year age gap. 

Ballack was spotted stooping in for a kiss with model Schneiderhan whist they held hands in Chelsea, London

Michael Ballack has been pictured looking happy and in love with the 21-year-old friend of his late son Emilio, almost two years after the 18-year-old was killed in a quad biking tragedy

It is believed the two got particularly close after Ballack’s son Emilio (pictured with his dad) died in a fatal quad biking accident in Lisbon, Portugal, in 2021

The former Chelsea midfielder’s son Emilio (pictured with his father) was killed in a tragic quadbike accident in Lisbon in 2021

The tragic 2021 death occurred when Emilio’s quad bike tipped backwards and crushed him.

Emilio was the middle of Ballack’s three sons with his ex-wife Simone Lambe. The pair married 2008, but had already been together for a long time, welcoming their first child in 2001. They divorced in 2012. 

Police at the time said Emilio had been riding on an uneven piece of land when the bike rolled backwards and fell on top of him around 2am on August 5, 2021, at the family’s Villas do Mar estate, near the town of Troia which is just south of the capital, Lisbon.

Firefighters attended the scene and pulled him free of the wreck before medics tried to revive him. Their efforts proved in vain and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

‘The accident happened at the family home. The quad rider wasn’t on a public road and his was the only vehicle involved,’ an officer told Portuguese media at the time.

Portuguese daily Jornal de Noticias reported that Emilio was reversing out of the property on his quad when he had his fatal accident.

After the awful tragedy, Ballack and Schneiderhan got close as each mourned the loss of a son and friend.

Schneiderhan works as a model after being talent spotted from an early age.

The model’s father, Reihard, is a spine surgeon and ex-surf school boss, who once owned three surf schools in La Garda in southern France. He has written three books on back pain and practices throughout Germany.

Ballack, 47, was pictured with his arm round girlfriend Sophia Schneiderhan as they strolled through Chelsea, London

The two were pictured in Chelsea, London, the neighborhood the football star used to call home during his playing days

It is believed the two got particularly close after Ballack’s son Emilio died in a fatal quad biking accident in Lisbon, Portugal, in 2021. Schneiderhan was a close friend of Emilio, and the pair have been loved-up ever since

Friends of Ballack and Schneiderhan have previously shared that they believe the relationship has been good for the former footballer

Friends of Ballack and Schneiderhan have previously shared that neither is bothered by the 26-year age gap

It is understood Schneiderhan spent most of her life growing up in Munich, Germany, but went to kindergarten in France and is a fluent French speaker.

The model later attended a small private school in Germany before pursuing her career. At the age of 13 she was talent spotted on an underground train where she was wearing a Dirndl – a German folk costume often associated with Oktoberfest.

If once wasn’t enough, she was then spotted and approached while in France by someone from a model agency. By 15,  Schneiderhan was already involved in campaigns and editorials for Escada, a high-profile German fashion brand.

Since retiring from football in 2012, Ballack has worked as a pundit for various outlets such as ESPN.

German former Chelsea star Michael Ballack is dating Sophia Schneiderhan, a 21-year-old friend of his late son Emilio, who was killed in a quad bike tragedy in Portugal

Schneiderhan (pictured) got close to Ballack after his son’s fatal accident. The two appeared loved up and as they were seen kissing in Chelsea, London

Since retiring from football in 2012, Ballack has worked as a pundit for various outlets such as ESPN. He is pictured before the UEFA Champions League group C match between FC Bayern Munich and Viktoria Plzen at the Allianz Arena, October 04, 2022

Ballack played for Chelsea between 2006 and 2010. He is pictured in an October 2021 match between Chelsea and Atletico Madrid at Stamford Bridge

Ballack is perhaps best known in England for his successful four-year stint at Chelsea, where he won the Premier League, three FA Cups, the League Cup and reached the Champions League final.

He also clinched four Bundesliga titles throughout his career, capturing three with Bayern and one with Kaiserslautern.

As an international, Ballack earned 98 caps for Germany and reached the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2008 finals, losing on both occasions.

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