Chelsea legend Claude Makelele ‘in advanced talks’ over shock manager job in Championship
CLAUDE Makelele has been linked with the vacant managerial position at Cardiff City.
The Chelsea and Real Madrid legend is out of work after leaving Greek team Asteras Tripolis.
Makelele, a World Cup runner-up with France, left Tripolis last week after barely a month in charge.
The 51-year-old fell out with the club’s owners and is now back on the market.
Cardiff have been without a manager since sacking Erol Bulut three weeks ago.
The Welsh club are currently bottom of the Championship after mustering just five points from 9 games.
According to French outlet Foot Mercato, Makele is in “advanced talks” with the Bluebirds.
Makelele retired in 2011 after a stellar two-decade career.
He won the Champions League with Madrid and lifted two Premier League titles during five seasons with Chelsea.
After hanging up his boots, the Frenchman was an assistant at PSG before taking up his first managerial role with Bastia.
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He has also enjoyed an assistant role at Cardiff’s rivals Swansea and managed Belgian side Eupen between 2017 and 2019.
Makelele returned to Chelsea in 2020 to become a youth coach and technical mentor.
Joining up with Asteras Tripolis last month had signalled he was ready for another crack at management.
But his fall-out with the board resulted in him leaving the club just weeks after arriving.
Makelele told London World: “They promised me full control of the team.
“It was my decision who played or didn’t play. Transfers were not my responsibility.
“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.”
However, according to WalesOnline‘s Glen Williams, Makelele is “not under consideration” for the vacant role with the Bluebirds.
Slaven Bilic is currently favourite with the bookies to take on the role in South Wales.
Ryan Lowe, Steven Schumacher, and Ruben Selles have also been linked with the job.