Ballack charged with speeding in Spain

Spanish police said Thursday they caught former Germany captain and Chelsea star Michael Ballack speeding on a highway in Spain, reportedly at 211 kilometres (131 miles) per hour. "He was detained for excessive speed yesterday afternoon (Wednesday)," near the town of Trujillo in eastern Spain, a civil guard spokesman in the nearby city of Caceres told AFP by telephone. A court official in Trujillo said Ballack, 36, went before a local judge on Thursday morning and challenged the charges, meaning he will be summoned to appear before a judge in a Caceres criminal court at a later date. The officials, who asked not to be named, declined to give further details, but Spanish media said Ballack was accused of driving at 211 kph in a 120-kph zone, in an all-terrain Audi. Ballack announced his retirement on October 2, having won 98 caps for Germany whom he led to the semi-final in the 2006 World Cup, and winning English and German league titles with Chelsea and Bayern Munich.