Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho claimed Claude Makelele is being treated like "a slave" by the France national team.

Makelele wants to retire from international football again having returned for the World Cup qualifiers and finals, culminating in a penalty shoot-out defeat by Italy in the final. But the French federation have told Chelsea the veteran midfielder will be suspended from club matches if he misses his country's forthcoming Euro 2008 qualifiers.

Following his side's 2-0 win at Blackburn, Mourinho told Sky Sports 1: "Makelele is not a football player - Makelele is a slave. He's played the biggest game you can, the World Cup final, and now he wants to retire but the coach (Raymond Domenech) told us if he is not playing for France, he is not playing for Chelsea. We know the rules. You are a slave, you have no human rights."