Chelsea midfielder Claude Makelele has said on Monday that he will accept his France call-up for the Euro 2008 qualifiers despite already quitting international football. "My name is on the squad and I have to go there. Playing for France means a lot to me," Makelele was quoted as saying by L'Equipe. "I'm a professional before anything. I'm doing my job and even if my club doesn't agree with it, I'm going to accept this call-up." Makelele's statement is unlikely to calm the tension of Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho who previously told Sky Sports Network that France treats the 33-year-old midfielder like a "slave." Mourinho is furious over Makelele's call-up, as well as the two-match ban Makelele faces for every France match he will miss. "The law is clear. If he misses one game in the national team, he misses two games for Chelsea," Mourinho said in a statement on Chelsea's official website.
"In every country players can retire — like Figo, Paul Scholes and Nedved. In Portugal, England and Czech Republic, everybody can retire." Makelele, though, stresses he will be always serving Les Bleus. "The French team remain something huge to me. Above all I am a professional. I do my job," Sky Sports quoted him as saying. "Even if my club doesn't agree, I will humbly honor that call. It is normal to wear my country's shirt." Although Chelsea plan to continue discussing the future of Makelele with the French Football Federation, France coach Raymond Domenech seems to be holding on to his choices. The World Cup finalist made it clear that he plans to use the midfielder during the qualifiers against Georgia on September second and Italy on September sixth.
