Brazil international Casemiro has been named a better defensive player by a man who had the position named after him
Former France international and Premier League legend Claude Makelele has stated that Casemiro is an even better defensive midfielder than himself.
The ex-Chelsea and Real Madrid maestro was so good during his playing days that the defensive midfield role was named after him.
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Makele won the Champions League with Real Madrid and the Premier League with Chelsea on two occasions before moving to PSG in 2008, where he retired three years later.
During an interview with Goal, Makelele was asked to only speak when the name of a better defensive midfielder than himself was mentioned.
Interestingly, Makelele kept mute when the names of top quality ex-players like Roma’s Daniele De Rossi, Juve’s Edgar Davids, AC Milan’s Gennaro Gattuso, Liverpool’s Javier Mascherano and Manchester United legend Roy Keane were mentioned.
When active footballers like Declan Rice, Joshua Kimmich, and Casemiro were mentioned, Makelele only broke his silence when it got to the Brazilian.
Makelele explains his choice of Casemiro
Suprised by Makelele’s choice, the Frenchman was asked to explain reasons behind giving the Brazilian the nod. He said,
“Because he’s young – because it’s a new generation and reminds me of my generation.”
During his time at Real Madrid, Casemiro played alongside great players like Luka Modric and Toni Kroos in midfield, scoring 31 goals in 336 appearances for Los Blancos.
Casemiro, now 32-years-old spent nine years at the Bernabeu winning numerous titles, including the prestigious UCL five times, before moving to Old Trafford in 2022 for £60 million.
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Now at Manchester United, Casemiro is no longer as prolific, due to the calibre of players that surround him and injuries.
Although Makelele has made his choice, many would argue that Manchester City’s defensive midfielder Rodri and former Chelsea star Ngolo Kante are probably better options to Makelele than Casemiro.