Michael Ballack, 48, has threatened to pursue legal action over false reports suggesting his 23-year-old 'life partner' was his late son's ex-girlfriend.
The former Chelsea midfielder is believed to have got close to Sophia Schneiderhan after his son Emilio died aged 18 in a fatal quad biking accident in Lisbon in 2021.
Emilio was the middle of Ballack's three sons with his ex-wife Simone Lambe. The pair married in 2008 but had already been together for a long time, welcoming their first child seven years prior. They divorced in 2012.
The German ex-footballer, who made 98 appearances for his country, has been spotted with Schneiderhan in public and has posted pictures of the pair on social media.
But recent reports suggesting the model had previously dated Ballack's son have prompted the former Bayern Munich star to threaten legal action against those who continue to make such claims.
Michael Ballack, 48, has threatened to pursue legal action over false reports suggesting his 23-year-old 'life partner' Sophia Schneiderhan (right) was his late son's ex-girlfriend
The former Chelsea midfielder is believed to have got close to Schneiderhan after his son Emilio died aged 18
Emilio was the middle of Ballack's three sons with his ex-wife Simone Lambe and died in 2021
Schneiderhan runs nutritional supplements brand Wonderbear with her mother Anke and has also worked as a model
Captioning a photo of the pair on Instagram, the German said: 'Due to recent media reports, I feel compelled to make the following clarification:
'My life partner Sophia is neither my late son's ex-girlfriend nor was she friends with him.
'We will take legal action against these untruths and ask that you respect our privacy.'
Schneiderhan runs nutritional supplements brand Wonderbear with her mother Anke and has also worked as a model.
Her father Reinhard is a spine surgeon and ex-surf school boss and once owned three surf schools in La Garda in southern France.
Now based in Munich, he practices throughout Germany and also worked in Kuwait, UAE and Saudi Arabia, writing three books on back pain.
Though Schneiderhan spent much of her young life in Munich, she went to kindergarten in France and speaks fluent French.
She pursued a modelling career having been spotted at the age of 13 on an underground train in Munich when she was wearing a Dirndl - a German folk costume often associated with Oktoberfest.
Though Schneiderhan spent much of her young life in Munich, she went to kindergarten in France
She pursued a modelling career having been spotted at the age of 13 on an underground train in Munich
Emilio (left) as crushed by a quad-bike near the family's holiday home in Portugal, according to reports
Ballack played 167 matches for Chelsea and won the double under Italian boss Carlo Ancelotti in the 2009-10 campaign
If once wasn't enough, she was then spotted and approached while in France by someone from a model agency. By 15, Schneiderhan was 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.
The midfielder won a glut of trophies in a glittering career spanning 17 years, including the Premier League, FA Cup and the Bundesliga title.
Ballack played 167 matches for Chelsea and won the double under Italian boss Carlo Ancelotti in the 2009-10 campaign. He also featured 157 times for Bayern Munich and another 155 times for Bayer Leverkusen.