“I was surprised to be called up. I would add that the referee’s decision was the correct. The commission did not agree with that decision. But I accept the sanction. This doesn’t need to become a huge thing about Makelele. Referee’s have a tough job. During a match they are asked to rule on Claude Makelele rather than just the ordinary player that I am. I play in midfield and there’s always physical contact in this part of the pitch. What I ask is that referees judge everyone the same. That’s all I want because this is getting a little tiring.” Do you think Christian Gourcuff’s comments were a factor in all this?
“I certainly hope not. But that is how I feel. The important thing is that the referees acknowledge that I accept the penalty and that they now make the same decisions for all the players on the pitch. I received a booking for what happened. I don’t understand why a commission then went to the referee. It’s incomprehensible.” Are you going to appeal the decision?
“I haven’t decided about a possible appeal yet. I want to play. We have some important games coming up and it’s a shame that this suspension has come at this moment.”
Have you changed the way you play since the incident?
“That prevents me from doing my job properly. I play with the hand break on. I’d only received one yellow card since the start of the season. I don’t see why, therefore, I have a reputation as an aggressive player. I’ve always played this way throughout my career. Apparently everyone is discovering a new Makelele – it’s incredible.” Does the team’s situation worry you ahead of playing Marseille?
“It’s a risky game in so far as we haven’t earned many points over the last five games. But we’re not worried because we know we have a lot of quality. We know that it’s not paying off at the moment. The game against Marseille will be very hard. Marseille are in good form at the moment and we have our fair share of problems.”
