Claude Makelele

At 51 years old, Claude Makelele has this physical status:

Claude Makélélé Sinda (born 18 February 1973) is a French football manager and former professional player who played as a defensive midfielder. He is currently a youth coach and technical mentor at Chelsea, having formerly been the head coach of Belgian First Division A club Eupen.

In his playing career, which ended at Paris Saint-Germain, Makélélé also played for Nantes, Marseille, Celta Vigo, Real Madrid and Chelsea. He won league titles in France, Spain and England, as well as the 2001–02 UEFA Champions League during his time with Real Madrid.

Makélélé was a French international for 13 years, and was part of the France national team which reached the final of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He also represented his nation at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, two UEFA European Championships and the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Regarded as one of the greatest players in his position, Makélélé has been credited with redefining the defensive midfield role in English football, especially during the 2004–05 FA Premier League season, where he played a key role in helping Chelsea win the title with 95 points. In homage, the defensive midfield position is sometimes colloquially known as the "Makelele Role".

Personal life

In the spring of 2004, Makélélé began dating French model Noémie Lenoir. Lenoir gave birth to a boy, Kelyan (born 24 January 2005). The couple split in early 2009. Despite widespread reports that Lenoir was married to Makélélé, she wrote a blog in 2009 clarifying their former relationship, saying, "I'm not and have never been married. I do have a son. I have a wonderful baby's father and have a great relationship with him, however I've been single for some time now." In May 2010, Lenoir attempted to commit suicide outside Makélélé's Paris home by ingesting a lethal amount of drugs and alcohol. Reports after the suicide attempt implied that it was related to Makélélé finally calling it quits with Lenoir and moving on with his then pregnant fiancée, which he vehemently denies. Lenoir has had a long battle with substance abuse and later checked into rehab.

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Club career

Makélélé was born in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo). In Lingala, one of the country's official languages, "makélélé" means "noises." When he was four years old, he moved to Savigny-le-Temple, a suburb of Paris in Seine-et-Marne. André-Joseph Makélélé's father, André-Joseph Makélélé, was also a footballer. He represented Congo and ended his career in Union Royale Namur's third division.

Makélélé, 77, a 15-year-old boy, signed for Sporting Melun-Dammarie 77. He spent one year there and then departed at the age of 16, when he joined the training center in Brest-Armorique in Brittany. It was not straightforward to adjust to the new life in Brest, according to him. The training academy life was difficult, especially because it was the first time he was away from his family.

In Brest, he worked hard, but it was in Nantes, where he discovered the true joy of playing. Makélélé was first recruited by FC Nantes in December 1991, when he was only 18 years old. Nantes' sporting director, Robert Budzynski, confessed that once he had discovered Makélélé in Brest, he was sure he would be the next Emmanuel Petit.

Makélélé was already in the Nantes first team and then competing in the French first division at the start of the 1992–93 season. He played for Nantes for five seasons, winning the French championship in 1995 and assisting the club in the UEFA Champions League's semi-finals the following season. He earned his transfer to Marseille, where he played for one season.

Makélélé was transferred to Celta Vigo, where he spent two years with the Galician club. Celta won spectacular victories against Liverpool and 4–0 against Juventus in the UEFA Cup, while playing alongside Aleksandr Mostovoi, Valeri Karpin, Haim Revivo, and Mchel Salgado.

Real Madrid recruited him in 2000. Celta did not want to sell Makélélé until a significant improvement was made on their offer. Makélélé refused to work until his employment was confirmed. Celta were reluctantly compelled to sell him for €14 million, much less than their estimate of the player, and only after his agent, Marc Roger, falsed police reports.

Makélélé's at Real Madrid, winning two Spanish La Liga championships, the Champions League, the Supercopa de Espaa, the UEFA Super Cup, and the Intercontinental Cup, Makélélé added to his medal haul, winning two Spanish La Liga championships, the Champions League, the Supercopa de Espaa. Makélélé has also established himself as one of the top defensive midfielders in the country, despite being omnipresent in Vicente del Bosque's Real Madrid team.

Despite his contributions to the team, Makélélé was one of the team's most (relatively) underpaid employees, making a fraction of what others earned, including Zinedine Zidane, Lus Figo, Ral, Ronaldo, Steve McManaman, and Guti. Makélélé's father, David Beckham, was released early in the summer of 2003, feeling that his position at the club was in jeopardy after the shock sacking of Del Bosque and the arrival of David Beckham, and teammates Zidane, Ral, McManaman, and Fernando Morientes, encouraged to request an enhanced deal. The Real estate company has refused to accept his request. Makélélé, the fét, was sent by a transfer request, but Chelsea rejected him. Florentino Pérez, the club's president, slammed Makélélé's football skills and declared that the club would not be missed:

McManaman's autobiography, published in 2006, portrayed Makélélé as the Real's most important and yet least respected midfielder. Pérez was chastised for both Makélélé's departure and his departure, as well as the way he had left, according to retired Real Madrid player and captain Fernando Hierro.

Makélélé's move to Chelsea in 2003 cost the team's "battery," according to then manager Claudio Ranieri.

Chelsea finished second in the 2003–04 FA Premier League, while Monaco was sacked by Monaco in the semi-finals of the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League.

Makélélé was a key player in Chelsea's prolific 2004-05 season, winning both the FA Premier League and the League Cup following Ranieri's ouster and his replacement by José Mourinho. Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Arjen Robben, Damien Duff, Eir Guben, and Didier Drogba were able to display their attacking skills by virtue of his defensive skills. Makélélé's importance was acknowledged by Mourinho, who named him Chelsea's "Player of the Year" in honor of his Chelsea.

He was allowed to forfeit a penalty to Chelsea in the game against Charlton Athletic on the day the Premier League trophy was supposed to be announced. Goalkeeper Stephan Andersen saved it, but Makélélé scored on the rebound. He was selected as a member of the World XI at the FIFPro awards in September 2005. The team was selected by a vote of professional footballers from 40 countries. He continued his strong medal haul the following season, winning both the FA Community Shield and Premier League.

Fulham beat Chelsea 1–0 in a Premier League game in which Fulham manager Chris Coleman centered on bypassing Makélélé on the wings and deploying midfielders on Makélélé when Chelsea were in possession. Chelsea lost the game after Makélélé's inability to function properly. Makélélé later confirmed that he was more than a mere defensive midfielder; that he was actually Chelsea's deep-lying playmaker; and that Chelsea's attacks were coordinated through him. As a result of Chelsea's unraveling, denying him access was instrumental. Mourinho was later forced to respond with a tactical change by relocating Lampard and Michael Essien further back in midfield to relieve the strain on Makélélé.

Makélélé scored his second goal for the club on November 5th, a thrilling curling volley from goalkeeper Paul Robinson into the right-hand side of the goal to cue a bench-clearing match. Despite Tottenham's comeback to defeat Chelsea 2–1, this goal gave him the best shot to goals percentage of the year with a single shot and one goal – 100%.

Makélélé wore the captain's armband in John Terry's absence and with Frank Lampard rested in a League Cup game against Newcastle United on December 5, 2006. At halftime for Lampard, he was recalled. When Terry, Lampard, and Michael Ballack were all inactive, Makélélé also wore the captain's armband the following season. Even before Terry and Lampard returned to Olympiacos for a pivotal Champions League tie against Olympiacos, Makélélé was captain, but Terry returned as captain the following weekend against Tottenham.

The 2007-08 season marked a period of renaissance for the 35-year-old Makélélé, who appeared in the majority of Chelsea's fixtures. Despite an ear infection that made him miss an early portion of the season, Michael Essien regained his position and put him in the right-back situation, effectively banishing Juliano Belletti from the team. Makélélé was instrumental in Chelsea's rise to the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final under manager Avram Grant's leadership; the team was defeated by Manchester United in a penalty-shootout after a 1–1 deadlock following both regulation and extra time.

It was announced on July 18, 2008, that Makélélé was going to have a medical the following day in Paris, ahead of a controversial move back to French football. Chelsea revealed on July that they had released Makélélé on a free transfer, while Paris Saint-Germain announced that the player will join them and be unveiled at a press conference on Tuesday.

He announced on February 25th that he would retire at the end of the season, but in June, he retracted his comment and rejoined PSG for another season. At the end of the 2009–2010 season, he won the Coupe de France with PSG. He resigned at the end of the campaign. He was promoted assistant manager to Carlo Ancelotti, who had just joined PSG from Makélélé's previous club, Chelsea, at the beginning of the season.

International career

In a match against Norway in July 1995, Makélélé was first capped for France and went on to represent his country in the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Makélélé was not selected for France's 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 triumphs, making his tournament debut at the 2002 World Cup, where he began his team's final Group A match against Denmark. Makélélé's first-choice player in midfield at Euro 2004, starting in three of France's four matches.

Makélélé decided to leave international football in September 2004 in order to concentrate on Chelsea's club football, but 11 months later, he and compatriots Zinedine Zidane and Lilian Thuram were compelled to help France qualify for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

Makélélé's services as a member of France's 2006 World Cup as a tireless midfield spoiler, helped the team advance to the final, where they defeated Spain, reigning champions Brazil, and Euro 2004 finalists Portugal in the knock-out rounds. Patrick Vieira's in-defence partnership was fruitful, as the team conceded only three goals in seven games and four clean-sheets, a record that was only defeated by world champions Italy.

Makélélé said early in the World Cup Final, after losing on penalties, Makélélé announced that he would not return from international football. However, he was called up to the squad by French national team manager Raymond Domenech for qualification matches against Georgia and Italy in Euro 2008. Chelsea boss José Mourinho accused France national coach Domenech of treating Makélélé like a slave and refusing to respect his retirement after being asked about his call up to his national team despite being omitted during an interview with Sky Sports. Domenech "has been very objective," Mourinho said, adding that you have to play Georgia and Italy will face Italy. Makélélé wants to retire, but the national coach will not allow him to retire." FIFA has announced that any club that refuses to release a player for national team service will be banned from using the player for two games, a rule that is designed to discourage clubs from claiming that the player is injured. "Even if my club doesn't agree, I'll humbly honor the call." Makélélé told French TV station TPS Star, "I will humbly respect the call."

Makélélé continued to compete with the French national team in the qualifiers and then the finals of the Euro 2008 tournament, where France dropped out of the group stage after finishing last in the standings. After France's 2–0 loss to Italy, He and Thuram announced their retirement from international football on June 17, 2008.

Coaching career

Makélélé became Bastia's head coach on May 24th. He was fired on November 3, 2014, less than six months in charge, but after a 1–0 loss to Guingamp on November 1, he was dismissed as coach. Makélélé, an assistant coach at Paris Saint-Germain, worked before Bastia, alongside Paul Clement. Monaco named Makélélé as the technical director in January 2016. Makélélé first joined Clement as his assistant coach at Swansea City's Premier League club, January 2017.

Makélélé took over as the head coach of Belgium's Eupen in November 2017. After almost two years as head coach, he returned to Chelsea in August 2019 as a youth coach and technical mentor.

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