‘Unbelievable!’ – Claude Makelele steps down as Chelsea and Real Madrid manager after just three matches

Makelele, a highly respected player in the football world during the 2000s, was named the head coach of the Greek team on September 14th.

In his three matches in charge of the team, Asteras Tripolis sealed one victory and two draws.

Given the promising start to his tenure, Makelele’s resignation has come as a surprise but he says he had no choice after the club broke promises.

‘They promised me full control of the team,’ the 51-year-old told London World in his first interview since leaving the club.

‘It was my decision who played or didn’t play. Transfers were not my responsibility. 

‘If you want to sack me because the results are not good, that’s fine. This is football. But I don’t want people telling me who should or shouldn’t play.’

Makelele claims the Asteras Tripolis board instructed him to bench a player who he regards as the ‘best in the team’.

‘In the last game [at Kallithea], they insisted a key player should be benched,’ the Frenchman said. ‘The player has a small amateur salary, but he’s the best player in the team.

‘I brought him on for just 20 minutes – he got two assists, and we won the game. But they didn’t want him [to play].

‘They thought they could control whether he plays because he hadn’t signed a [new] contract [with the club]. I used him because of his quality.’

Looking back at his brief spell in charge of the club, Makelele added: ‘They were used to long balls, second balls, but I made them understand that whether you win, lose, or draw, you need to learn to play football.

‘I’m a manager who looks forward. When I take responsibility for the players, I know what I can and cannot do.

‘I love the job, but I can’t accept when people interfere and tell me what I can or cannot do.

‘They know the name, but they don’t know the human being. You cannot lie with your principles. I built my career on honesty with players and the club. Always honest.

‘Football is about human beings, about connection, understanding movement, tactical awareness, technical skill – individually and collectively. We use data, sure, but football is more than that.’

After spells in France and Spain, Makelele was signed by Real Madrid in 2000 and helped the Bernabeu giants win two La Liga titles and the Champions League.

Following his exit, Makelele was hailed as the most important and least appreciated midfielder at Real Madrid by his former teammate Steve McManaman.

More success followed at Chelsea, where Makelele became an integral member of a Jose Mourinho team that won back-to-back Premier League titles.

During the same period Makelele helped France reach the World Cup final in 2006 but was denied the trophy as Italy won on penalties.

Makelele’s influence on the game was such that his position in defensive midfield is often branded the ‘Makelele Role’.

Since his retirement in 2011, Makelele has held coaching and technical staff positions at PSG, Bastia, Swansea, Eupen, Monaco and his beloved Chelsea.

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