Refreshed Michael Ballack laughs off Ferguson's old jokes

A honeymoon on the beautiful Balearic island of Formentera was no doubt infinitely preferable to four sweltering days in the Chinese city of Guangzhou, Chelsea's first port of call on their Asia tour.

At the hop: Ballack and Shevchenko give each other a legup in training

Ballack was granted an extended break following his exploits for his country in Euro 2008 and his wedding to Simone Lambe but he is now back with the squad in Macau and the contrast between Ballack's demeanour and that of midfield partner Frank Lampard could not be more marked.

The pair each have 12 months left on their contracts at Stamford Bridge, although Ballack has an option for an extra year which he and Chelsea are sure to want to exercise - especially given his performances in the second half of the last campaign.

Months of wrangling over his contract are weighing heavy on Lampard's shoulders as he toils over whether to move to Inter Milan, while family concerns are also affecting him in the wake of the death of his mother Pat last April.

There is no such turmoil for Ballack. Happy with life on and off the field, he is equally content to bide his time when it comes to contract talks.

'I just spoke with Peter Kenyon because next year I want to sign a new five-year contract,' quipped the 31-year-old when asked about Sir Alex Ferguson's 'Chelsea pensioners' comments - although his gag could also be interpreted as a nod at Lampard's demands for a long deal.

Pushed on whether he expects to sign a new deal soon, the answer spoke volumes about his state of mind.

'No,' came the reply. 'I'm happy at Chelsea with the contract I have. I will see what the next months bring. I'm quite relaxed about that.'

He was equally unperturbed at meeting up with his new manager, despite knocking Scolari's Portugal out of the European Championship with a goal that came via a nudge on Chelsea team-mate Paulo Ferreira.

'It was the first question we spoke about, whether I pulled Paulo or not. But it wasn't given,' said Ballack.

'I first met him (Scolari) in 2002 in a friendly game and since then we have had contact at a few different games. Of course it's all different now he's my manager. Before, you know the person for just a few moments, now you stay together every day and I'm looking forward to this.

'It's difficult to say too much about him yet because he only talked to us for a few minutes. I think he's a nice person, very friendly and a successful coach. That was very important, that's why he is working here. A lot of people have told me there's a very good atmosphere here with the new coach around the team.'

Ballack is the oldest member of Chelsea's established starting lineup and Ferguson's comments could have ruffled his feathers more than most. But even that debate was dismissed as a bit of banter.

'Like we always say, it's not about old or young players, it's about good or bad players,' said Ballack who will not play in tonight's friendly against Chengdu Blades.

'Of course, this team can still improve. If you're 13 or you're 31, you're not old. Look at Makelele last season, I think he was 34 or 35, yet he still played a very good season. I don't think he (Ferguson) was talking about me or any other specific player. I think it's just what happens in the summer break, you tickle each other a little bit. It's nothing serious.'

Of far more concern to Ballack is avenging Chelsea's narrow defeats by United last season.

'I think you saw towards the end of the season we were in very good shape,' he said.

'Manchester United won the Double last year and it was a fantastic season for them, but we were very close. We were behind them by a millimetre and this time we will try to be first.'

He would clearly like to achieve that aim playing alongside Lampard. 'It would be fantastic if he stayed at Chelsea,' insisted Ballack.

'He's a big, big player for us and he's done a lot for the club. So we hope he stays here. It's his decision but he knows everyone is behind him here.'

Having faced a similar dilemma when leaving Bayern Munich two years ago, Ballack is well placed to empathise with his team-mate.

And if Lampard decides to stay at Chelsea, the likelihood is that he will be partnering Ballack for a few more seasons yet, especially now that the newly-wed has found the kind of contentment that should make his own contract negotiations a much less fractious affair.