Makelele Ruins Mourinho's Plans

Filed in archive Premiership 2006/7 on October 3, 2006

Claude Makelele has decided to keep playing for France, but has admitted ruining Jose Mourinho's plans for him.

"Mourinho told me he had taken my retirement decision into account when working out my programme for this season," the 33 year old Frenchman said. He had a plan of the matches he saw me playing in the Champions League and the Premiership."

"But he had to throw all that in the air as I had to resume service for France."

Makes you realise how much work Mourinho puts into team preparation.

I'm amazed Makelele wants to continue playing for les Blues (France not Chelsea). He's already retired twice, and now changed his mind twice. The first time was his own choice but he's more or less been press-ganged into this latest U-turn by Raymond Domenech.

Here's hoping for some verbal fireworks between Domenech and Mourinho when Makelele reports back from international duty with a thigh strain.

Most bizarre is Makelele's idea that he'll help France qualify for Euro 2008, then retire. "For me there is no question, I will not be going to the Euro finals," he said. "I think I am already fulfilling a reasonable objective by helping them to qualify ...I think he [Domenech] will probably accept my decision."

Has he learned nothing?