In order to ensure the completion of the transfer to Real Madrid, Claude Makelele resorted to various tactics to secure his departure from Celta Vigo. The determination of the former player was also evident in his personal life, as he was once offered a suspended sentence of 5 months for brutally assaulting his girlfriend. Makelele also caused his ex-wife to become so distressed that she attempted suicide unsuccessfully.
Engaging in covert maneuvers to reach Real Madrid
In the year 2000, during the early stages of the “Galacticos” era, Real Madrid’s president, Florentino Perez, spared no expense in acquiring a host of quality stars. Claude Makelele emerged as one of the outstanding talents catching the eye of the Bernabeu hierarchy. At the end of that summer, Real Madrid made a substantial offer to secure Makelele, but Celta Vigo was unwilling to let the midfielder depart.
Conversely, Makelele was keen on a move to Real Madrid. He enlisted the intervention of his agent, Marc Roger. In 2017, Roger recounted this incident to the media, stating, “To force Celta to agree, we filed a complaint with the police, claiming that fans had attacked his car. But the truth is, I threw stones to break the car window, with Makelele’s consent, of course.”
This ploy proved effective as Celta Vigo was eventually compelled to agree to sell Makelele to Real Madrid for €12 million. During his tenure in Madrid, the midfielder achieved remarkable success, endearing himself to the club’s supporters. He secured one Champions League title and two La Liga trophies with Real Madrid before moving to Chelsea, where he added two more Premier League titles.
Makelele’s talent is indisputable. He excelled at every club he graced with his presence. He even has a position named after him, dubbed the “Makelele role,” and very few players can match the influence the French star exerted.
Many talents, many faults
In contrast to his on-field attributes, off the pitch Makelele exhibited a propensity for violence. In late 2010, he was interrogated by police after assaulting his former girlfriend to the extent that she required hospitalization. At that time, the former Chelsea star had struck his ex-girlfriend, Thandi Ojeer, at his private residence in Paris.
During a dispute, Ojeer lost her temper and grabbed her boyfriend’s collar, resulting in several scratches. Close sources to the couple told the Daily Mail that Makelele reacted only in self-defense. He struck his ex-girlfriend, causing her serious injuries to the jaw. Subsequently, Ojeer was taken to the Andre-Mignot hospital in Chesnay and remained hospitalized for 4 days, primarily for treatment of severe jaw trauma.
At the La Celle-Saint-Cloud police station in Paris, both Makelele and Ojeer filed lawsuits against each other. Makelele claimed that his ex-girlfriend had entered his home without permission and then attacked him. On the other hand, Ojeer accused the former midfielder of assault. The incident occurred shortly after the two had broken up. Ojeer had gone to Makelele’s house to retrieve her clothes and belongings but was prevented by him.
After 2 years of litigation and investigation, the prosecutor sentenced the former Real Madrid star to a suspended 5-month prison term, while also ordering him to compensate the victim. Ojeer’s lawyer stated that the plaintiff demanded compensation of 90,000 euros.
Before the court, Ojeer testified that four months after their breakup, she went to Makelele’s house in October 2010. The reason being that Ojeer had made several phone calls to retrieve her personal belongings (estimated at around 30,000 euros), but Makelele did not answer. Upon seeing his ex-girlfriend at his house, Makelele argued with her and refused to allow her to touch her belongings, attempting to push her and then punching her in the face. The court did not accept the defense that it was an act of self-defense, thus ruling in favor of Ojeer.
Ojeer was not the only woman to have a nightmare experience with the French star. Previously, his ex-wife Noemie Lenoir had endured mental abuse for a long time. In May 2010, Lenoir was found unconscious in the La Celle-Saint-Cloud forest, on the outskirts of Paris.
Doctors revealed that the model had attempted suicide by mixing a cocktail with stimulants and sleeping pills to induce shock, and had fallen into a critical condition. The forest where Lenoir was found unconscious was also close to the villa of her ex-husband Makelele. After receiving timely medical attention, Lenoir recovered.
Makelele was not directly implicated in his ex-wife’s incident, but the severe strains in their marriage had taken a toll on Lenoir. The model revealed that Makelele was obsessed with pornographic content, with hundreds of adult films in his favorites. Initially, he was very sweet and romantic, demanding intimacy at all times. However, later on, Makelele neglected his partner, frequently cheating with other women while living with Lenoir, even going on trips alone with his mistresses.
Moreover, the former French international also used another phone to communicate with the women he was involved with. There were times when Makelele moved constantly between Paris and London to attend to his mistress. Lenoir stated that Makelele was well aware that his actions were hurting her but always pretended not to know anything. They had one child together, Kelyan (born in 2005).
When Lenoir attempted suicide, Makelele was present at a PSG championship celebration. Journalists spoke to Makelele about his ex-wife’s situation at the time, but he remained “calm and without any hint of embarrassment”. He only claimed that he knew nothing about what his ex-wife was going through.