Chelsea legend Claude Makelele has expressed surprise over the club’s failure to appoint Luis Enrique as their manager in 2023. The misstep seems to have cost the Blues dearly as Enrique has led Paris Saint-Germain to the UEFA Champions League final.
Enrique was a strong contender after Graham Potter’s sacking. He had indicated a desire to be at Stamford Bridge, even holding talks with the club’s leadership. His availability notwithstanding, Chelsea went for an interim coach in the form of Frank Lampard before finally signing Mauricio Pochettino.
Reflecting on the missed opportunity, Makelele was not pleased, as he told football.london:
“I think you need to ask the president of Chelsea, ‘Why did you not take him?’ You know, some managers, they come from a different club and it is different. Now, he plays possession, but maybe in the Premier League, where it is all box-to-box, you cannot always have possession. Sometimes, you’d have to play in a different way.”
He did admit that Enrique’s success at PSG speaks volumes of his vision and ability to change:
“I think the opportunity he has had at Paris Saint-Germain was to play his own popular style from before, when he was at Barcelona. Many people forget he went to Barcelona and knew exactly what he would do with his team.
“He had a lot of people criticise him about the way he played, but he was focused on his ideas and now everybody is giving him praise – this is football. This is football, sometimes the manager needs time, but he only needed a short amount of time.”
Makelele finished:
“This is amazing. I know the player, I know the manager, because I played against him. I know exactly how he feels football. It’s important for Paris Saint-Germain to have this kind of manager.”
With Enrique at the helm, PSG are now a well-oiled machine, with team discipline and the development of young players being the emphasis. They have advanced to the Champions League final, where they will face Inter Milan.
Luis Enrique Was Not Pleased About Chelsea Snub
Spanish sources indicate Luis Enrique was disappointed after Chelsea chose Frank Lampard as a temporary solution rather than presenting him with the role on a permanent basis. Lampard’s return generated a disastrous stint with just one win in eleven games and a knockout from the Champions League.
Enrique’s arrival at PSG, however, witnessed a tactical overhaul for the Parisians. The French title winners have won Ligue 1, claimed the French Cup, and could win the treble if they win the Champions League
Meanwhile, Mauricio Pochettino survived just one season with the Blues before leaving the role.