CHELSEA legend Claude Makelele has told SunSport of his plans to get back into management.
The French midfielder was most recently head coach at Asteras Tripolis in 2024, departing after issues with club management, but actually stayed undefeated in his time in charge.
He also spent time in various coaching roles with PSG, Monaco, Swansea City, Eupen, and Chelsea.
Makelele, 52, is now focusing more on philanthropic endeavors and football development, and enjoying life, but insisted he still wants to return to football management when the right opportunity arises.
He said: “I’ll take my time. I love to help young boys dream, because sometimes players dream and don’t believe in themselves.
“I have a talent for seeing something in young players, many managers don’t have time to give young boys. They need understanding and listening to.
RETURN OF THE MIKE
Ashley set to take over EFL club after providing ‘proof of funding’
“I’m thinking about it. One day I will come back and manage a team again.”
Speaking to SunSport, he opened up on his thoughts on Chelsea’s title chances, the Moises Caicedo vs Declan Rice debate, and what the Blues need to add to their squad – you can read the full interview here.
Claude Makelele was speaking on behalf of bet365, the official global partner of the UEFA Champions League, which is hosting its Big Ticket Giveaway on Tuesday 4th November outside Kings Cross Station from 1530, where fans have the chance to win tickets to UEFA Champions League matches. Full Terms and Conditions apply. +18 Gamble Responsibly.
BAK AND FORTH
CHELSEA face a mammoth Champions League trip to Baku to face Qarabag this week.
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS
The Azerbaijani capital is four hours ahead of London and Chelsea are making some alterations to their schedule to aid the players adjusting.
Enzo Maresca and his squad trained in Cobham on Tuesday morning and had special dispensation from UEFA to hold their pre-match press conference at home instead of in Baku.
In addition to this, the players and staff are expected to stay on UK time while they are in Azerbaijan – effectively having breakfast while the locals eat their lunch.
Chelsea have done just that on their previous two visits to Baku, a 4-1 Europa League final win over Arsenal in 2019 and, two years earlier a 4-0 win over this week’s opponents.
FALSE ALARM
THE Surrey emergency services are going to have to start charging Chelsea after not one, but two false alarms at the training ground in the past few months.
SunSport revealed fears of a chlorine leak in the hydrotherapy pool led to first-team players and staff evacuating their building at Cobham ahead of the Sunderland game.
But a Surrey Fire and Rescue team that attended the scene found no problem.
And now the disappearance of £30,000 of camera equipment – another Sun exclusive story, from August – has been resolved without need for further action from Surrey Police.
A force spokesperson said: “A report of burglary was made to Surrey Police on Monday, 4 August.
“Between Monday 14 July and Monday 4 August, a quantity of high value electronic equipment was reported stolen from an address on Stoke Road in Cobham.
“This investigation has now been filed.”
In other words, closed.
Why? Had the hi-tech gear just been mislaid? Had it been nicked but returned? Chelsea aren’t giving any details.
A Blues spokesperson said: “The matter has been resolved after an internal investigation.”
CAI SPY
MOISES CAICEDO put in another stellar show at Tottenham and was serenaded by Blues fans at the final whistle.
They sang his name to the tune of Spandau Ballet’s ‘Gold’, just as they used to for N’Golo Kante.
That fact has not been lost on Caicedo, who is said to be incredibly humbled that the French midfielder’s chant has been repurposed for himself.
A sign of Caicedo’s growing reputation as one of the best midfielders in Europe is how much rival players are willing to graft to get one of his shirts.
After the 4-3 win at Wolves in the Carabao Cup, home centre forward Tolu Arokodare stood patiently outside the away dressing room.
Eventually Chelsea centre back Tosin Adarabioyo came to the door and after a brief conversation with Arokodare, went away to fetch Caicedo’s jersey.
Moments later Wolves defender Yerson Mosquera appeared in the mixed zone, still in his match kit.
Colombia international Mosquera hung around for some time and chatted to a number of Chelsea’s Spanish-speaking players as they headed to the coach.
When Caicedo appeared, the Ecuador international explained to Mosquera he had already handed over his shirt. So the Wolves centre half kept on waiting until a member of his team’s backroom staff appeared with the prize.
The Ecuador star had only come on in the 85th minute of the game. Caicedo still managed to pick up a yellow card but he has only two cautions in 14 appearances despite bossing the midfield in almost every game this season.
SAMBA STARS
ANDREY SANTOS says he and Joao Pedro are taking good care of Estevao.
The three Brazilians are a tight-knit group as Santos and Joao Pedro use their experience to help the teenage winger adapt to life and football in Europe.
Estevao was the only member of Chelsea’s trio of samba stars to join up with his country last month and scored twice in the 5-0 friendly win over South Korea in Seoul.
Santos said: “Me and Joao are helping Estevao a lot.
“He arrived here just a few months ago, in a new country with a different language. This is a process. He’s doing very well.
“He did amazing in Brazil with the national team. I’m really happy to play with him.”
Many Chelsea fans would be happy to see Estevao starting more games.
But boss Enzo Maresca is staying true to his pledge to ease the 18 year old into English and European football.
SPURRED ON
PEDRO NETO wasn’t the only Chelsea player to ‘rage-bait’ Spurs fans after the Blues beat them 1-0 on their own turf.
In fact, Saturday’s win has left fans questioning if the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is even their own turf, with Chelsea winning more games at the ground than any other visiting team since it opened in 2019.
With Neto‘s antics going viral, several Blues stars took to social media to rub the salt in Spurs’ wounds, none more so than Romeo Lavia.
The Belgian midfielder tagged the location on his post-match Instagram post as ‘training ground’, while Malo Gutso dubbed it ‘Home sweet home’ and Wesley Fofana tagged it as ‘Somewhere in London… Lol’.
If that wasn’t enough, Lavia then took to Snapchat.
He posted a story lauding fellow midfield maverick Moises Caicedo, commenting: “Everyone walking on the streets tonight please check your shoulders… Moi could be pressing you”.
ON CALL
CARDIFF CITY in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals seems like an easy draw for Chelsea, but it will reunite them with a familiar foe.
Forward Callum Robinson has a great record against the Blues, and it will need to be overturned if Enzo Maresca’s side is to progress.
The 30-year-old has featured just three times against Chelsea, but has NEVER lost to them, while bagging FIVE goals and one assist in those games.
A goal in a 2-2 draw on his Sheffield United debut saw him secure his first goal against the Blues, before a move to West Brom.
He scored a brace from the bench when his West Brom side won 5-2 at Stamford Bridge in April 2021, and another brace in a 3-3 draw at the Hawthorns in the same season.
The Irish forward is well aware of his record too, making a cheeky social media post aimed at the Blues.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
‘HOLD SFA TO ACCOUNT’
Rangers ‘unsatisfied’ with explanation for key decisions vs Celtic
TU PERFECT
‘Compliments guaranteed’, shoppers race to Sainsbury’s for beautiful blingy knit
Robinson isn’t the only familiar face with a point to prove, either, as on-loan Omari Kellyman is also likely to feature, and posted a series of pictures to his Instagram story after the draw.
Kellyman, 20, joined the Welsh side earlier this season and has had a good start to life in the capital after a lengthy injury lay-off, bagging his first goal for the club on his second start against Reading as the Bluebirds won 2-1.
