Chelsea legend Claude Makelele still bears legend status at Stamford Bridge after being one of their key men in the Jose Mourinho era – but he has major competition in terms of midfield influence in London in the form of Moises Caicedo.
Claude Makelele was the engine in a Chelsea team that broke Premier League records galore under their Portuguese boss Jose Mourinho in 2004-05, with the Blues collecting a then-record 95 points on the way to their first Premier League title.
Only conceding 15 goals in the entire campaign, a record that still stands today, was a showcase of Makelele’s brilliance.
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However, Moises Caicedo’s form has seen him compared to the diminutive cult hero. And Makelele praised the former Brighton star in the highest order after ranking him better than some world-class stars.
Chelsea FC v Tottenham Hotspur FC - Premier League
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Claude Makelele chose Moises Caicedo as the only midfielder better than him
Makelele was asked to play ‘winner stays on’ between himself and current midfielders, beginning with N’Golo Kante.
And, after selecting himself over the Frenchman, Moises Caicedo was next in the firing line.
Interestingly, Makelele says he would have chosen the Ecuador international over him after his recent strong performances, but the praise didn’t stop there – a real showing of solidarity after Caicedo named Makelele as his idol.
Legendary midfielders in Paul Scholes, Roy Keane, Sergio Busquets, Toni Kroos, Xabi Alonso, Patrick Vieira and Pep Guardiola all followed the same line of questioning, with Makelele choosing himself over them, insinuating that Caicedo was the best of the bunch.
And with current world stars such as Rodri, Aurelien Tchouameni, Casemiro and Declan Rice all falling under the same fate, it’s huge praise from the iconic Premier League midfielder for the Blues star.
Moises Caicedo celebrates scoring for Chelsea against Liverpool
Photo by Chris Lee – Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Moises Caicedo has one aspect that Claude Makelele didn’t show at Chelsea
Makelele was so influential in the Premier League after his five years at Chelsea that he was coined with re-inventing the defensive midfield role.
‘The Makelele role’ was frequently used throughout his spell in London, and it still is until this day, with stars such as Kante being compared to him, though John Terry chose Makelele over Kante.
Being ousted by Real Madrid chief Florentino Perez saw then-captain Fernando Hierro insist that his departure was no coincidence in terms of Real Madrid’s ‘Galacticos’ era slowly dwindling, as well as Chelsea’s rebirth as an English powerhouse coming when he joined.
Competition Games played Wins Losses Goals scored Goals conceded
Premier League 38 29 1 72 15
Champions League 12 6 4 21 13
FA Cup 3 2 1 5 2
League Cup 6 5 0 10 4
Caicedo, however, has one aspect of his game that Makelele doesn’t. The legendary Frenchman only scored twice in his time at Stamford Bridge in 217 games. Caicedo already has seven Premier League goals for both Chelsea and Brighton, with three already this season.
That saw John Obi Mikel label Caicedo as being better than 52-year-old Makelele.
If he can adopt Makelele’s defence nous and continue to make an impact in the final third, the praise may not be too far from the truth.