Makelele ends France career

Chelsea midfielder Claude Makelele has quit the French national team.

Makelele follows Zinedine Zidane, Lilian Thuram, Bixente Lizarazu and Marcel Desailly into retirement but unlike that illustrious quartet he was not a member of the team that won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.

His retirement is ill-timed for France as Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira will be suspended for the next World Cup qualifier with the Republic of Ireland on October 9.

Makelele said: “I have done it all with the French team even if I won nothing with them.

“I don’t think a player like myself can be with the national team without playing. In these conditions I give my place to (Marseille midfielder Benoit) Pedretti. I have no future with Les Bleus.

“The new youngsters need to get experience. I am not someone who does things by half.”

Zaire-born Makelele, who won 35 caps with Les Bleus, denied any rift with new France coach Raymond Domenech whose team were held 0-0 by Israel in their first World Cup qualifier before beating the Faroe Islands 2-0.

“I had to make my decision understood to Raymond with whom I have always had good relations,” said Makelele.

Asked whether he would make himself available for the Republic of Ireland match, Makelele said: “No, I’m stopping. It’s over. It’s decided in my head.

“I can not start a procedure of putting back my decision.”

Makelele, 31, also spoke of his relationship with Chelsea.

“We have found a rhythm,” he said. “Little by little we are becoming a team. We have the potential to go a long way and that’s what we are fighting for.

“People will always try and compare us with Arsenal and we all know we can make no mistake.”

On new Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho, Makelele added: “It’s interesting. He’s very open. But when we have to work it’s like being in prison. He knows how to squeeze every drop out of us.”