Exclusive: Claude Makélélé speaks out after shock sacking, Chelsea stars thanked him

Claude Makélélé has broken his silence following his surprising departure from Greek side Asteras Tripolis after less than a month in charge.

Despite leading the team to sixth in the Greek Super League, Makélélé’s short tenure saw him lose just once in four games.

In an exclusive interview with LondonWorld, Makélélé gave insight behind his departure, explained his footballing philosophies and spoke about his plans for the future.

The 51-year-old shared his disappointment after initial promises were not upheld, as the club hierarchy began to interfere in team selection.

"They promised me full control of the team. It was my decision who played or didn’t play. Transfers were not my responsibility," Makélélé explained.

"If you want to sack me because the results are not good, that’s fine. This is football. But I don’t want people telling me who should or shouldn’t play."

The final straw for Makélélé came in his side’s 3-1 victory over Athens Kallithea, a team which included former France international Mathieu Valbuena.

"In the last game, they insisted a key player [Darnell Eric Bile] should be benched," Makélélé said. "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 [with the club]. I used him because of his quality."

Makélélé, a former Real Madrid and Chelsea legend, spoke about the changes he brought to Asteras, focusing on improving the team's style of play.

"They were used to long balls, second balls, but I made them understand that whether you win, lose, or draw, you need to learn to play football," he said.

"I’m a manager who looks forward. When I take responsibility for the players, I know what I can and cannot do," he explained. "I love the job, but I can’t accept when people interfere and tell me what I can or cannot do."

The Frenchman also highlighted the disconnect between how clubs perceive his reputation as a football icon and his personal values.

"They know the name, but they don’t know the human being," he said. "You cannot lie with your principles. I built my career on honesty with players and the club. Always honest.”

“Football is about human beings, about connection, understanding movement, tactical awareness, technical skill – individually and collectively. We use data, sure, but football is more than that."

Nurturing young talents

Throughout his coaching career, Makélélé has been dedicated to developing young players, including the likes of Billy Gilmour, Conor Gallagher, and Trevoh Chalobah at Chelsea.

"In the beginning, Chelsea didn’t believe in them. I made sure they progressed. Now look where they are. They send me messages sometimes – ‘Thank you, coach, you opened my eyes’. That means more than winning a trophy," Makélélé said.

For him, success goes beyond titles. "You have children dreaming of playing this sport. You can’t buy that. It’s not possible."

Despite the abrupt end to his time in Greece, Makélélé remains optimistic about his future in coaching and is ready for new opportunities.

"I’ll see what’s coming next. I want to make players progress," he said. "I’m happy when I see managers like Arteta, Guardiola, and Klopp – they make mistakes, but they understand how to help players grow into big players. Every big player needs their teammates to win games and progress."

Reflecting on his managerial journey, Makélélé stressed the importance of learning from the best in the game.

"I’ve been learning from great managers – they’ve taught me what winning and losing together really means. I’m ready for what comes next."

LondonWorld understands that several clubs have already reached out to the 51-year-old since his departure from Asteras Tripolis was made public.

While his time at Asteras may have ended unexpectedly, Makelele’s passion for football and commitment to his principles remain as strong as ever, guiding him as he looks ahead to his next challenge.