EVEN on the eve of Arsenal’s first appearance in the Champions League final, and, more significantly, the first by any London club, Chelsea cannot help stealing the spotlight. Mischievously or not, the club chose yesterday to parade the signing of Michael Ballack, whom José Mourinho considers a significant capture in their attempt to dominate European football for years to come.

For once, the puckish Portuguese seemed reluctant to hog the limelight, allowing the Germany captain, whose reported wage package of £130,000 a week over three years will make him the highest-paid player in Europe, to take centre stage.

Ballack shares his new manager’s confidence, announcing that he moved to Chelsea to win the Champions League, the one trophy that eluded him during a glittering career in Germany. The 29-year-old also displayed the touch of a seasoned politician in endearing himself to Chelsea’s fans, explaining that he turned down an offer from Manchester United before Christmas because the champions possessed a much stronger team.

“United came in quite early for me, but I saw the possibility of playing for Chelsea as offering much more than that,” he said. “They are a much stronger team and London also has its attractions as a family man. I’m looking forward to the challenge and my prime reason is for the Champions League.

“Chelsea’s aims are the same as mine. They have won the league for the last two years and the opposition they’re playing against are very strong. Liverpool won the Champions League last year and Arsenal are in the final this week, which shows the strength of the league.”

Ballack will not complete his free transfer from Bayern Munich until July 5, but he insists that the idea of moving to London first took hold after a skirmish with John Terry before the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final defeat by Chelsea in April last year. After allegations that Ballack dived to win a penalty during his team’s 4-2 loss at Stamford Bridge, the Bayern captain confronted his opposite number in the tunnel before the second leg, warning him to watch his step.

Terry responded that if Ballack had a problem, they should sort it out there and then, an aggressive attitude that impressed the German.

“It made my mind up to play in England,” he said. “I wanted to play in a team that had him as captain. John Terry is a great player. We are both fighters, so I don’t see there being any problem with John. He is Chelsea’s captain and therefore represents them. So I have respect for him for that and for him as a world-class player.

“But the game is about winning and I wanted to win, so going down 4-2 against Chelsea was hard. These things happen, these mind games in the tunnel are part of it. Think back to Manchester United and Arsenal and Patrick Vieira versus Roy Keane. I didn’t hear first-hand what was said, but I’m sure they weren’t exchanging pleasantries.”

With Keane and Vieira off the scene, the path seems clear for Ballack to establish himself as the Premiership’s dominant midfield player. Mourinho intends to play him alongside Frank Lampard as often as possible, with Claude Makelele and Michael Essien sharing the anchor role, although doubts persist as to whether the pair’s attacking instincts will impinge on each other’s game.

“I spoke to Mourinho about my position and am quite flexible,” Ballack said. “I can play at the back or in front of the midfield and that flexibility is within the side as well. I know English football is quick and harder than in Germany, but that suits my style of play.

“Lampard and myself play in roughly the same position and he has a great responsibility for scoring goals, but I believe I can help him share the burden.”

Having collected Champions League and World Cup runners-up medals with Bayer Leverkusen and Germany, Ballack is anxious to lift the burden of being a nearly man. At Bayern he began every season knowing that winning the championship was the minimum requirement and collected the trophy in three out of four years, so he will be accustomed to the elevated expectations at Stamford Bridge.

“There are never any guarantees that you will win the title,” he said. “There were expectations at Bayern that we would win. There’s a further challenge here of being at the top and staying there.”

BRAINS, BRAWN AND BIRDIES - THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE NEW ARRIVAL

1 He is unmarried but has fathered three boys with his partner, Simone. He gave each a foreign name: Louis (French), Emilio and Jordi (Spanish).

6 His motto in life is: “Don’t take things too seriously.”