French FA is treating Makelele 'like a slave with no human rights'
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Your support makes all the difference.The Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho claimed after the win over Blackburn Rovers yesterday that his midfielder Claude Makelele is being treated like "a slave" by the France national team.
Makelele wants to retire from international football again having returned for the World Cup qualifiers and finals, culminating in a penalty shoot-out defeat by Italy in the final. But the French federation has told Chelsea that the midfielder will be suspended from club matches if he misses his country's forthcoming Euro 2008 qualifiers.
Following his side's 2-0 win, Mourinho (pictured) said: "Makelele is not a football player - he is a slave. He's played the biggest game you can, the World Cup final, and now he wants to retire but the coach [Raymond Domenech] told us if he is not playing for France, he is not playing for Chelsea. We know the rules. You are a slave, you have no human rights."
Mourinho insists that he has no choice but to send Makelele to join up with his national team. "We have no chance. The rules are there, the law is there. If you don't play one match [for France] you are suspended for two [for Chelsea]."
Goals from Frank Lampard and the substitute Didier Drogba gave the champions victory at Ewood Park. Lampard struck the ball sweetly home from the penalty spot after Andre Ooijer clumsily fouled Terry while Drogba's finish from inside the box was clinical.
The Blackburn manager Mark Hughes criticised Mark Clattenburg's decision to award the penalty while failing to give the home side a spot-kick when Ricardo Carvalho tugged Jason Roberts' shirt inside the area.
"I thought the penalty against us was a decision that changed the game," Hughes said. "In the first half we totally dominated possession of the game but obviously if Chelsea go ahead it's very difficult to break them down.
"The penalty decision has changed the game from our point of view. The referee needs to get the big decisions right and I don't think he did. John Terry allowed his legs to collapse to get the penalty and unfortunately he gave it."
Terry was full of praise for the way his side bounced back after losing to Middlesbrough in midweek. "This is a very tough place to come but after throwing it away in the last 10 minutes at Middlesbrough we were pumped up today," he said. "We didn't play at our best but we got the points. Last year in some games we didn't play at our best but got the three points and we're happy to come to places like this and get the win.
"I thought I deserved a penalty in the first half. The referee was aware he had both hands round me and it was definitely a penalty. I had a clear run and he pulled me back."
On Drogba's impact, Terry said: "He was frustrated at not starting today but he came on and gave a performance like that."
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