Makelele: Swapping Madrid for Chelsea? No Second Thoughts, No Looking Back

 

Claude Makelele, the legendary former France international, has made it clear: ditching the glamour of Real Madrid in 2011 for Chelsea is a decision he’s never lost sleep over.

In a candid throwback with AS, Makelele opened up about the unlikely transfer. "Leaving Real Madrid? That’s not something players usually do—they’re the gold standard," he said. "But then came Roman."

According to Makelele, it was Roman Abramovich’s fiery passion and persistence that tipped the scales. “He really went all in to bring me to Chelsea. I spoke with him, and also Claudio Ranieri—who just wouldn’t quit. They made it obvious: Chelsea wasn’t just interested, they needed me.”

That unwavering commitment won him over. “So I came, and when I did, I gave everything. No holding back. We built something special. It wasn’t just the Chelsea faithful who loved it—our football lit up the entire Premier League.”