Yes, it seems like Real Madrid do want Claude Makelele to be forgotten. If you do a simple search on YouTube in the Real Madrid channel, no Claude Makelele videos come up. Yet the defensive midfielder was crucial to the Real Madrid side, enabling the team to keep possession of the ball and winning the ball when needed.
Real Madrid’s president Florentino Pérez said this about Makelele:
“We will not miss Makélelé. His technique is average, he lacks the speed and skill to take the ball past opponents, and ninety percent of his distribution either goes backwards or sideways. He wasn’t a header of the ball and he rarely passed the ball more than three meters. Younger players will arrive who will cause Makélelé to be forgotten.”
During Makelele’s time at Real Madrid the team won seven titles in three years, La Liga twice and the Champions League once.
Zidane, of course now the manage of Real Madrid said this in 2003 when Makélélé was being replaced with David Beckham at Real Madrid:
“Why put another layer of gold paint on the Bentley when you are losing the entire engine?”
Here are some of Makelele’s best skills, passes, tackles and defensive plays from the Real Madrid legend during his career with the club from 2000-2003. Many say that rather than be forgotten Makelele will be remembered for changing the defensive midfield position. Revolutionizing the position. Making it a key part of any club. Ever team needs a player who does all the dirty work, winning the ball and keeping it. As Zidane said, the engine of the soccer team.
