A Chelsea legend has roasted his bosses for crossing an ‘unacceptable’ line having quit a management job after just three games in charge.
The former midfielder took charge of Greek side Asteras Tripolis in mid-September before leading them to a victory and two draws.
That promising start was cut short after he felt club chiefs were breathing down his neck and he decided to terminate his one-year deal.
It marks another ill-fated chapter in the managerial adventures of Claude Makelele, who won two Premier League titles at Chelsea but has struggled in the dugout.
‘I love the job, but I can’t accept when people interfere and tell me what I can or cannot do,’ Makelele told LondonWorld.
Chelsea legend Claude Makelele has slammed his Asteras Tripolis bosses after quitting three games into his tenure
The ex-Chelsea star claimed club chiefs interfered with his team selection, so he quit
‘They promised me full control of the team. It was (supposed to be) my decision who played or didn’t play.’
The last straw came when club chiefs interfered in his selection for his final match in charge – a 3-1 win over Athens Kallithea, who boast ex-France star Mathieu Valbuena on their books.
‘In the last game, they insisted a key player [Darnell Eric Bile] should be benched,’ said Makelele.
‘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. I used him because of his quality.’
LondonWorld claims that multiple clubs have already reached out to Makelele.
While he was a wildly successful player, hoovering up 15 trophies with likes likes of Chelsea and Real Madrid, he is yet to taste success in the dugout.
He won 15 titles in his playing career but has not matched that success as a manager
The former World Cup runner-up has also taken charge of Bastis and Eupen without much to shout about and had a five-year absence from management before taking the Asteras Tripolis job.
He has also worked as a youth coach and technical mentor at Chelsea.