Cardiff City are reportedly close to agreeing a deal to appoint Claude Makelele as their new manager, according to French publication Football Mercato.
The former France midfielder is available for appointment, having recently left his latest managerial role. The 51-year-old departed from Greek side Asteras Tripolis after just weeks at the helm, having reportedly had disagreements with the club’s hierarchy. Makelele has a somewhat modest managerial record, having had a five-year break before taking the job in Greece. He previously managed French side Bastia and Belgian outfit Eupen, both to limited degrees of success.
In contrast to his managerial struggles, Makelele had a glittering career as a player. A 71-time French international who finished runner-up at the 2006 World Cup, he is perhaps best known in Britain for his club exploits. He started his career with Ligue 1 sides Nantes and Marseille, before moving to Spain to join Celta Vigo. A move to giants Real Madrid followed, where he won the 2002 Champions League before signing for Chelsea. It was here that he made the defensive midfield role his own, so much so that the ‘Makelele role’ was named after him.
Cardiff fans will be hoping that, if appointed, Makelele can transfer that playing pedigree to the dugout at the Cardiff City Stadium. The Bluebirds have endured a shambolic start to the season and lie bottom of the Championship, which saw previous manager Erol Bulut sacked three weeks ago.
Since then, they have improved slightly under interim boss Omer Riza but still sit at the foot of the table and need to improve fast if they want to avoid relegation. A permanent appointment is key to that goal, and it looks as if Makelele could be the man they choose for the job.
Writer’s View
This would be quite an underwhelming appointment from a managerial point of view, but there’s no doubt he is a statement name. He could, however, prove to be an inspired choice and defy his previous coaching record, though this probably isn’t the time for left-field appointments with Cardiff lying perilously in the relegation zone.
Interim boss Omer Riza has overseen an upturn in form and has been making noises about wanting the job permanently, and there’s certainly an argument for that. Stability or a safe pair of hands is probably what Cardiff need and while Makelele doesn’t give that, he could still prove a good choice for the role.
