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Former Chelsea midfielder Claude Makelele has opened up about his decision to join the Blues over teams like Manchester United and Inter Milan in 2003.
The Frenchman spent five years at Stamford Bridge, winning the Premier League twice, in addition to claiming an FA Cup title and two League Cups.
But things could have been different with Makelele having plenty of suitors as he looked to leave Real Madrid a year after his winning Champions League campaign in the Spanish capital.
“I went to Chelsea because they came first,” he told Four Four Two. “After that I was approached by several other teams, including Manchester United and Inter, who had tried to sign me before I moved to Real.
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“Because of the way things were happening at Madrid, I said to Chelsea: ‘If I go, I’ll go with you.’ I made them a promise.
“They did their best to sign me as I was 30 by then, but they still paid a significant transfer fee [£16.8 million]. “
Makelele joined Chelsea in the middle of their transition following the arrival of owner Roman Abramovich.
Asked how the club changed during the era, the Frenchman replied: “What changed was that Abramovich attracted some world-class players to the club.
“That is what the coach did very well because, before, these types of players would move to Manchester United or Arsenal. First I played with Claudio Ranieri, before José Mourinho replaced him a year later.
(Image: Darren Walsh / Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
“I had a good relationship with both, I always had a good relationship with my managers throughout my career.”
Makelele was part of Chelsea that cruelly lost the 2008 Champions League final to Manchester United in Moscow.
“Obviously, it was a huge disappointment,” he recalled. “When you get so close, the appetite is huge, especially because I wanted to win the Champions League to give that trophy to the boss. [Abramovich].
“He gave us a lot, so you wanted to give him something back. It was a shame to lose on penalties. He wasn’t too high on the list to take one.
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“I played better on the field, penalties weren’t my thing!”
Makelele left Chelsea in the summer after the Champions League defeat and joined PSG, where he ended his career three years later.
When asked why he left Stamford Bridge, Makelele said: “I wanted to go back to France, to be close to my family.
“I had lived away from home my whole career. When the possibility of joining Paris Saint-Germain came up, Abramovich helped me leave in a good way and let me go for nothing, because I still had a contract at Chelsea.”
After retiring in 2011, Makelele became a coach and is now back at Chelsea, returning in 2019 as a technical mentor at the club’s academy.
(Image: Xavier Laine / Getty Images)
“It was nice coming back to Stamford Bridge with some other former teammates like Frank Lampard and Petr Cech,” the 47-year-old said when discussing his current role.
“I work as a technical mentor for the academy and the loan players, which I find very interesting because I deal with many different departments.
“You talk to the players about their performances on the field and their personal development off the field.
“This position has given me some new experiences, which add up very well to the last few years where I have played many different disciplines, such as being in directorial roles.
“That gave me a better understanding of all the politics within soccer, which you don’t understand when you’re a player. Once you finish your career, soccer turns out to be very different.
“Those experiences also make me a much more well-rounded manager. I’m still focused on that side of things, because I love that job, but I need time to wait for a good project. I’m developing well in my role at Chelsea, which is it’s satisfying. “
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