Chelsea made Luis Enrique mistake that cost them dearly, says club legend Claude Makelele

Chelsea icon Claude Makelele would like an explanation as to why the Blues passed up the opportunity to appoint Luis Enrique as manager. Ex- boss Enrique is once again on the cusp of European glory, with his Paris Saint-Germain team set to

A win would secure his second triumph in Europe's premier club competition. At 55, he has transformed PSG's young squad into one of the most formidable attacking forces in world football. However, prior to accepting the role in the summer of 2023, he was following Reports from Spain claimed Enrique was keen to succeed Potter immediately, aiming to lead the team against in the Champions League quarter-finals. However, a move did not happen, as the Blues decided they wanted more time to decide and proceeded to instead.

Spanish outlet claimed Enrique had both virtual and in-person meetings with Chelsea's board, where he expressed his ambition to take over. Despite this, the Blues hierarchy remained sceptical and instead brought in Mauricio Pochettino as their next permanent boss.

Now Enrique is on the brink of clinching his second Champions League victory, Makelele reflected on whether Chelsea had made an error in not securing Enrique as their manager, considering the success he's experiencing with PSG. Makelele, who was representing , told "I think you need to ask the president of Chelsea, 'Why did you not take him?'"

While musing over how Enrique might have performed if he had taken the reins at Stamford Bridge, the former Chelsea and Real Madrid ace said: "You know, some managers, they come from a different club and it is different. Now, he plays possession, but maybe in the Premier League, where it is all box-to-box, you cannot always have possession. Sometimes, you'd have to play in a different way.

"I think the opportunity he has had at Paris Saint-Germain was to play his own popular style from before, when he was at Barcelona. Many people forget he went to Barcelona and knew exactly what he would do with his team.

"He had a lot of people criticise him about the way he played, but he was focused on his ideas and now everybody is giving him praise - this is football. This is football, sometimes the manager needs time, but he only needed a short amount of time.

"This is amazing. I know the player, I know the manager, because I played against him. I know exactly how he feels football. It's important for Paris Saint-Germain to have this kind of manager."

Spanish outlets also reported that Enrique was "disappointed" with the decision to bring in Lampard as an interim solution at the club. The now-Coventry City manager's second tenure at the helm of the west London team saw them exit the Champions League and secure just one win in his 11 matches in charge.

On the flip side, Enrique's takeover at PSG in the summer of 2023 marked the dawn of a fresh strategy, focusing on acquiring Europe's most promising young players rather than chasing after big-name stars.

This season, PSG clinched the Ligue 1 title by early April and recently triumphed over Reims with a 3-0 victory to lift the French Cup. Should Enrique lead his team to victory against Inter, he would achieve a treble with a second club, replicating his success with Barcelona in 2015.

While Enrique has been transforming PSG back into a European powerhouse, Pochettino departed Stamford Bridge after a single season, paving the way for Enzo Maresca's appointment. Maresca has wrapped up his inaugural season in west London with a top-four finish and the Europa Conference League title under his belt.

Claude Makelele was speaking on behalf of , the official global partner of the , which is hosting its Big Ticket Giveaway Game this Friday 30th May in Munich from 4pm, where fans have the chance to win tickets to the UEFA Champions League final. Full Terms and Conditions apply. Gamble Responsibly. Full interview can be found at .