Chelsea midfielder Claude Makelele has hit out at his former club Real Madrid for showing their players a lack of respect and explained the reason he joined the free-spending London club was because they made him feel 'wanted.'
The French international joined Chelsea for €24million in the summer in a long, dragged out move but he insisted that he never wanted to stay with Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Makelele said: "I could not stay at a club that shows no respect for its players. I asked my international team-mate Marcel Desailly about Chelsea because I had a pile of offers to go elsewhere. Marcel convinced me that Chelsea would be the biggest club in England in the future and had ambitions on the international stage."
The French midfielder also played down any suggestions that money was the main motivation behind his move to Chelsea. He said: "It was not about money. It was a question of the communication between the board and the players. Chelsea made me feel wanted, from the manager to the president."
He also believes that while Chelsea are making steady progress, it is still too early to talk of them lifting the Premiership trophy. He said: "We are on the right track, but the players do not know each other's game like at Manchester United or Arsenal. When we have that understanding Chelsea will be a difficult team to beat."
Filed by Rob Wright
