Has the ‘Makelele Role’ left football?

Claude Makelele (L)

Football as a sport has completely changed in the last eight years (not the only thing that’s changed in the last 8 years!) at the top level. Seven players run the same average distance in a match now than 11 players did in 2005. The game is noticeably faster and therefore takes foreign players longer to adapt to.

However, one of the most un-talked able things that has changed in the modern game is that the traditional rock in front of the back four is rarely seen in teams any more. An example of this type of player is Claude Makelele and this role was dubbed the ‘Makelele Role’ as he famously rarely move during a game and broke up opposition attacks frequently, which was pivotal to Chelsea’s success under Jose Mourinho.

Makelele was a player who Arsene Wenger may call an anti-footballer. He was there to break up attacks, to hold the shape of the team. But this role is different from the traditional defensive midfielders of the past, who used to be hard tacklers and hassle down opponents. The Frenchman was simple, efficient, had great positioning sense, perfect timing for a tackle and was very disciplined.

At Real Madrid, he was regarded as the one of the most important player by his teammates, who needed that calm and disciplined influence on the pitch. They won the Champions League in 2002 with a host of attacking talent like Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, Ronaldo and Raul, but Makelele was the unsung hero. It was when Madrid lost possession and the opposition countered, the Frenchman played his part. When the opposition attacked he was all alone, with no help from his midfield partners but he kept his calm and broke down attacks. His calm presence and slow passing were key to his side’s success.

He then demanded a bigger contract but Florentino Perez refused to give him one and eventually he was sold to Chelsea. But Makelele’s move to London proved a highly successful one. He first struggled to settle in the Premier League under Claudio Ranieri, but under Mourinho his role in the team became more well defined, he excelled in it and this time the world noticed. His best years were player under Mourinho, where he won the Premier League and the League Cup twice, and the FA Cup once. There was admiration from the manager, players and the fans alike, and thus the ‘Makelele Role’ was born.

Not many teams play with this sort of player these days. Instead, they use an anchorman or a linchpin to sit in front of the back four, who receives the ball from the centre-backs and starts the attack with long or short range passes. In the Barcelona team of the last five years that has been dominant in Europe, they haven’t play with a holding midfielder, they’ve been using a lynchpin player in Sergio Busquets. Nowadays a holding midfielder only to play the Makelele Role is not sufficient, as you must be able to pass the ball and start attacks from the back. Michael Carrick, Xabi Alonso, Andrea Pirlo and Mikel Arteta, who’s passing is an integral part of their game are prime examples.

Many top teams play the 4-3-3 formation which adapts to a 4-2-3-1, so there isn’t much room for a Makelele type player as the more playmakers in a team, the more chances are created resulting in more number of goals scored. Football has changed, and the ‘Makelele Role’ has all but left football.