Chelsea legend Claude Makelele has lifted the lid on his shock departure from Greek side Asteras Tripolis, citing interference from the club’s ownership as the primary reason.
Makelele, who took charge of Asteras in mid-September, left his position after just three games, despite guiding the team to an undefeated streak.
The Frenchman revealed to London World that he was promised full control of the team but was instead instructed on player selection. The final straw came when the club insisted that key player Darnell Eric Bile be benched due to contract disputes.
Makelele said, “I love the job, but I can’t accept when people interfere and tell me what I can or cannot do. They promised me full control of the team. It was (supposed to be) my decision who played or didn’t play.”
“The player has a small amateur salary, but he’s the best player in the team. I brought him on for just 20 minutes – he got two assists, and we won the game.
“But they didn’t want him (to play). They thought they could control whether he plays because he hadn’t signed a (new) contract. I used him because of his quality,” he added.
Makelele’s brief tenure saw Asteras draw two matches before securing a 3-1 victory over Kallithea.
According to reports from Greek publication EPT, philosophical differences and dressing room cohesion issues also contributed to Makelele’s resignation.
The former Chelsea midfielder has already attracted interest from other clubs, London World reports.
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