Michael Ballack was arrested for speeding and reckless driving in Spain a couple weeks ago. Now, his lawyer claims he can’t pay the $13,000 fine because he’s out of work.

A lawyer for the ex-German captain, who ended his playing career after being released by Bayer Leverkusen in the summer, said he should only pay a tenth of the €10,000 (£8,000) fine being threatened.

Ballack’s attorney is also trying to get his driving ban reduced to one-year. The “unemployed” soccer star was driving a $60,000 SUV and was well off enough that coming to MLS for less than $5 million per year wasn’t worth the effort.

[Photo via Getty]