By Melody Gross 
The former German soccer star, 47, no longer hides his relationship with the 21-year-old model, who was close to Emilio, Jr. who died in Portugal.
03/26/2023 • 01:30 AM
Sonia Dias
Michael Ballack, one of the biggest stars of German football, experienced dramatic moments when his 18-year-old son, Emilio, died in August 2021 in an accident in Troia, Setubal, where the family owns a home. The young man was riding a quad bike on uneven terrain at night when the car skidded. A year later, news began to spread about a possible engagement between the 47-year-old former athlete and model Sophia Schneiderhan, 21, one of Emilio’s best friends.
Palak and Schneiderhan grew closer after the young man’s death and ended up falling in love. However, no one thought the relationship would work out, even over the 26 years that separated them. However, this week the Daily Mail pictured the couple walking hand in hand and kissing passionately on the streets of Chelsea, London.
Emilio was one of three sons of Michael Ballack, who is best known for his career in the German national team, at Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich and England’s Chelsea. The former soccer star is also the father of Luis, 21, and Jordi, 18, who, like Emilio, are the result of his four-year marriage to Simon Ballack. The couple divorced in 2012, and since then, the player has had relationships with German influencer Natasha Tannous and Russian actress Ekaterina Leonova.