Makelele the artisan frees artists' spirits

Ask Real Madrid supporters who their most important player is and you are in for a lively discussion. Some say the captain and defensive rock, Fernando Hierro; others side with the dead-ball specialist Roberto Carlos; some opt for the creators like Zinedine Zidane or Luis Figo; and many plump for the goalscorers Ronaldo and Raul. But ask the Real Madrid superstars themselves, and they give you just one name: Claude Makelele.

Real Madrid are full of talented characters who are revered the world over. But what is it they say about popularity and winning contests? The key members of Real's dream team are well aware that without hard graft there can be no flamboyance, that without defensive security there can be no magical goals like the one Raul scored against Milan in the Champions' League two weeks ago, at the end of a sweeping move involving Figo, Zidane, and Roberto Carlos that will be talked about for years.

In short, the glamour boys know they need Makelele. "When people look at a Porsche, they are admiring the body of the car," Roberto Carlos says by way of explaining the Frenchman's underrated importance, "but what is it that really makes it so special? It's the engine. And our engine is Claude."

Such praise explains why Makelele, whose star-studded team take on Manchester United in the Champions' League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday, is happy with his less publicised job.

"Does it bother me watching our forwards doing all their tricks and getting the applause?" he asks, as we settle down for a cup of tea at Real's training ground. "Of course not, because I know that the move probably started with me in the first place.

"Some players get a kick out of scoring goals; I get a kick out of winning a tackle and getting the team moving forward again." United beware.

In effect, Makelele does for Real – and now France – what Didier Deschamps used to for Juventus and Les Bleus. He sits in front of the back four, offering protection when defending and the first outlet when on the offensive. The job description is simple, but its proper execution is not. Witness Nicky Butt's intelligent display against Turkey last Wednesday, when he gave England the base they had been craving.

"I could play our role down," says Makelele, who is always selected by Real's coach, Vicente del Bosque, when fit, "but the truth is that we are important. I am increasingly aware of that, because there are very few defensive midfielders who can provide sound cover at the back as well as the necessary attacking impetus."

Makelele adds: "It's a role I love because it allows you to be totally involved in the game. I started my career as a right-midfielder and hated it, but then Coco [Claude] Suaudeau [Makelele's manager at Nantes in the Nineties] saw my potential and moved me inside. Some people say it's a bit boring sitting back, but I disagree. I think players like us are the pivots."

Eric Cantona had a less flattering term for their like. He called them water-carriers. Not that Deschamps much cared, as he was a water-carrier who won a World Cup and European Championship. "We're not often appreciated," Makelele laments, "and yet our job has become more and more important in recent years. In many ways, we 'water-carriers' are the new No 10 of the team. We are the ones dictating the tempo and bossing the play. Didier was a very important figure, and his trophy cabinet shows just how successful he was."

For now, Makelele will have to settle for a Champions' League winner's medal. The 30-year-old does not yet have any international honours but, as he has established himself as a key member of the national set-up, that may change when France defend their European title in Portugal next summer. With Jacques Santini's men all but there, Makelele can focus on Real's push for domestic and European success.

For a player who has had to fight hard to overcome prejudice about his lack of height [Makelele is just 5ft 5in], the quarter-final with United is a mouth-watering prospect.

"When I was battling to force my way into the Nantes team, or when Marseille released me in 1998," recalls the man who was born in Zaire but raised in France from the age of three, "I had to dig deep. The fact that I eventually landed on my feet at Celta Vigo and have now gone on another level at Real does not take anything away from the fact that I am really excited about playing Manchester.

"Both teams are capable of getting a result home or away, so it's impossible to call. That's why it's so exciting. All our players – even the ones who have seen it all – are talking about nothing else."

When the two last met, at the same stage of the competition three years ago, United were undone by a more wily Real. Sir Alex Ferguson's men earned an impressive goalless draw in the first leg in Madrid, and then launched an all-out assault on the visitors' goal at Old Trafford. The Spanish side simply sat back, soaked up the pressure, and tore United apart on the break. The lessons of that evening have been learned, though, as the deployment of a water-carrier, either Roy Keane or Butt, in front of the defence proves.

"They will look to be solid," Makelele says, "but you can't stop them from coming forward. Like us, they are natural attackers. There is no point in trying to curb that."

Makelele's one regret is that the teams are meeting now. "It's a pity," he says, "but don't worry. I think that, come the second leg at Old Trafford, we will both regard this as the final." That is, of course, until the winner of this tie becomes the favourite for the real final... at Old Trafford.