Claude Makelele, who left Asteras Tripoli AKTOR before he was a month old, explained to LondonWorld why his collaboration with the team ended.
Claude Makelele spoke at London world after the end of his collaboration with Asteras Tripolis AKTOR, claiming that he did not have full control over the team, as originally promised.
“I was promised to have full control over the team. It was my decision who played and who didn’t. It was not my responsibility for transfers.
If you want to fire me because the results are not goodthat’s fine. This is football. But I won’t let anyone tell me who should or shouldn’t be playing.” he said among other things.
According to Makelele, the last straw came in the match against Athens Kallithea.
“In the last game, they insisted that a key player should sit on the bench. The player has a short contract, but he is the best player in the team.
I put him on for 20 minutes – he scored two assists and we won the game. But they didn’t want to play it, because he had not signed a new contract. They thought they could check if he would play, I put him in because of his quality.
They were used to playing long balls and second balls, but I told them that you have to learn how to play football, whether you win, lose or draw.
I am a forward looking coach. When I take responsibility for the players, I know what I can and cannot do.
I love the job, but I can’t take it when people step in and tell me what I can or can’t do.”
Which teams see him as a football icon: “They know the name, but they don’t know the man. You cannot lie to your principles.
I built my career on honesty with the players and the club. I was always honest.”
Football is about people, connection, understanding of movement, tactical awareness, technical skills – individually and collectively. We use data, sure, but there’s more to football than that.”he finished 51 year old technician.