Maka Retires From International Footy

[The Brit]

confirmed it after tonight's match...hopefully france will finally let him go so he can concentrate on chelsea...I thought he was one of the few french players to have a good tournament, but did tire as games went on...top player still and I hope we keep him

[mad_mac]

Glad to hear it, didn't he try to retire before but Domenech said he'd sue the club if Makelele didn't play?

[cassiya]

His international retirement is 2 years too late imo

[Alan]

Glad to hear it, didn't he try to retire before but Domenech said he'd sue the club if Makelele didn't play?

He retired but Domenech ignored this and kept calling him up.

[BLUENUT]

He retired but Domenech ignored this and kept calling him up.

But surely if he didn't really want to be there he would have said no.

Can you imagine Paul Scholes turning up for training with England just because McClaren kept picking him!?! if he got picked he'd phone up and say 'Steve, what part of retired didn't you understand?' - 'I'm not playing you d**khead'

Surely Maka could have said the same

[midlandblue]

third time lucky

[loz]

Maka never retired - if he had officially retired Domenech couldn't have called him up. Maka talked about retiring but never actually did it and so Domenech called him up (which he was perfectly entitled to do). There was then some noise that Makak might not play and it was then that Domenech said he would enforce the FIFA ruling about players who refused to play for their country when called up.

If Maka had wanted out of it he just had to say the word - he didn't and therefore no blame can be placed at Domenech's door.

[wicksy]

Maka never retired - if he had officially retired Domenech couldn't have called him up. Maka talked about retiring but never actually did it and so Domenech called him up (which he was perfectly entitled to do). There was then some noise that Makak might not play and it was then that Domenech said he would enforce the FIFA ruling about players who refused to play for their country when called up.

If Maka had wanted out of it he just had to say the word - he didn't and therefore no blame can be placed at Domenech's door.

Are you sure LOZ?

My understanding was that Maka said he'd retired but Domenech refused to accept it and continued selecting him. That was why José got very upset and accused him of treating Maka like a slave. Why would he say that if Maka hadn't actually retired?

[loz]

Possibly because Jose would say anything if it meant gaining an advantage?

I am not sure what Maka may or may not have informally said to the likes of Jose but he definitely didn't formally retire from international football because if he had done that then Domenech would have had no grounds to ask for the FIA regulations to be imposed if Makelele didn't turn up.

A player can opt out from international football at any stage in his career should he want to but until such time as he actually formally retires he is available for selection and can't opt in and out of games at the drop of a hat (unless his name is Ryan Giggs)

[loz]

p.s. don't forget that after that 'storm' Maka said he would play for France during the qualification games but 'definitely wouldn't be playing in the finals'

Seems to me that Maka didn't ever really know for sure what he wanted and was just keeping his options open all along.