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Claude Makelele informed French national team coach Raymond Domenech and his teammates that he is ending his career in the national team.
The 31-year-old player made his debut for the team in 1995. He did not play in the 1998 World Cup and the 2000 European Championship. He only became a stable first-choice player after the European Championship.
The new national team coach R. Domenech has a wide selection of defensive midfielders. This led to Makelele not playing in friendly matches against Bosnia or in the qualification match against representatives from the Faroe Islands.
Makelele became the fifth player to retire from the national team after this year's unsuccessful European Championship. Previously, midfielder Zinedine Zidane and defenders Bixente Lizarazu, Lilian Thuram, and Marcel Desailly retired from the national team.
