Rooney Backs Makelele Return to Chelsea

Wayne Rooney has thrown his weight behind a potential Chelsea reunion with Claude Makelele, having spent time with the French defensive midfield icon at a charity match last year.

Speaking on his BBC podcast, Rooney outlined how the pair struck up a conversation over wine after the fixture, leaving him convinced that Makelele's presence could prove transformative for the troubled Blues.

"Someone with his mentality and mindset having him around the place would be great for Chelsea," Rooney explained, highlighting the defensive midfielder's proven pedigree at Stamford Bridge.

Makelele, a two-time Premier League champion under Jose Mourinho, remains one of football's most influential figures in his position—so much so that the tactical setup bears his name. The Frenchman worked as a coach at Chelsea from 2019 before departing by mutual agreement in September 2023.

Rooney's comments came in the wake of Chelsea's FA Cup semi-final victory over Leeds, during which manager Enzo Maresca was subsequently sacked. The former Manchester United striker observed that the squad's reaction to the dismissal suggested relief rather than dismay—a telling sign of deeper issues.

"The players almost seemed relieved," Rooney noted, before expanding on how Chelsea's current setup differs fundamentally from the club's glory years. "If you go back to when Chelsea had Lampard, Terry, Cech, and Makelele, it actually didn't matter that much if the manager was sacked because you had leaders who led on the pitch and by example."

That absence of established authority figures has left a vacuum at the club, Rooney suggested. "Groups of players like that run the football club," he continued, drawing parallels to his own experience at Old Trafford. "The manager doesn't need to do much. That's where it's changed massively."

Rooney also addressed the circumstances surrounding Maresca's exit, noting the 41-year-old's prior role as his assistant at Derby County. Despite backing Maresca as "a fantastic coach," Rooney acknowledged the relentless pressure cooker that is Chelsea.

"He's never been at a club with the pressure of Chelsea," Rooney reflected. "He got put under a huge amount of pressure straightaway from the media and then the players. They judged him quickly, results weren't coming, and we all knew what was inevitable."