This archive report was first published on 4 August 2019.
Chelsea has welcomed back former star Claude Makelele as a technical mentor to young players, marking his return to the Premier League club after 11 years.
Makelele, a former France midfielder, had coaching roles at Paris Saint-Germain, Bastia, Swansea, and Belgium's Eupen since his retirement in 2011.
During his five-year spell at Chelsea, Makelele made 217 appearances and won two league titles, an FA Cup, and two League Cups.
"I am very happy to come back home; this club gave me a lot and now I want to give back and help the young Chelsea players dreaming of a career in football," Makelele said.
Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia expressed confidence in Makelele's impact, stating, "We are very pleased to welcome Claude back to Chelsea, where he made such an impact during five excellent years as a player."
Granovskaia added, "His long and successful career on the field, added to his winning mentality and experience as a coach in recent years, make him the ideal person to pass on his expertise to our talented youngsters."
Makelele's appointment is part of Chelsea's efforts to strengthen its coaching staff, following the arrival of former goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini as loan player technical coach and Petr Cech as a technical advisor.
