The Hindu : Sport / Football : Makelele now France's main man

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 11, 2006

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Sport - Football

Makelele now France's main man

HAMELN (Germany): Claude Makelele doesn't say much. He doesn't need to.

``I'm not a media figure,'' the France midfielder said. ``I only show my motivation when I play, not with words. That is my way of communicating and I'm happy with that.''

Ahead of Tuesday's World Cup opener against Switzerland, Chelsea's Makelele and Arsenal striker Thierry Henry are France's form players. London club rivalries aside, they hope to down the Swiss.

Makelele will cover his defence, while Henry looks to destroy theirs.

Not included in the squads for the 1998 World Cup and European Championships in 2000, Makelele's image only picked up back home when he started dating French model Noemie Lenoir.

Makelele was long viewed as a useful squad player who never seemed to be at the big tournaments, despite making his international debut 11 years ago against Norway.

The 33-year-old is set to win his 44th cap against Switzerland. Patrick Vieira, who will play alongside him in Stuttgart, is 29 years old, has 87 caps, and winners medals from 1998 and Euro 2000.

Makelele's lone World Cup appearance was against Denmark four years ago, when Les Bleus lost 2-0 and went home shamefaced after failing to score a goal in the competition.

Much fitter

Judging by France's three friendly games, the players look much fitter than in 2002, when Zinedine Zidane picked up a thigh strain five days before the opening match against Senegal.

Although considered a veteran in soccer terms, Makelele's legs are still full of running.

``If you have the desire then you can have the freshness, even if you are 35 or 36,'' said Makelele, who was born and raised in Kinshasa before moving to France, aged 4. His father played international soccer for Zaire.

Makelele's club career saw him win a league title with Nantes, before an ill-fated move to Marseille and a quiet spell at Celta Vigo.

In 2000, he joined Real Madrid and helped it win two league titles and the Champions League in his three years with the club. His reputation as self-effacing and modest was shattered in one rare outburst. The only time Makelele raised his voice was to demand higher wages — he was paid a quarter of the salary of Zinedine Zidane and Raul because he was not considered a ``Galactico''.

``He never passes the ball more than 10 yards,'' Real Madrid president Florentino Perez said. He may have added that Makelele never loses it either, and makes innumerable clean tackles. — AP

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