Makelele sees Chelsea move as last career challenge

France midfielder Claude Makelele considers his move from Real Madrid to Chelsea the last challenge of his career.

"I'm joining an ambitious side. It's going to be the last challenge of my career. Now I'm hoping I'll be able to adapt swiftly," the 30-year-old said in Tuesday's L'Equipe.

Makelele became embroiled in a pay dispute with Real Madrid last month and expressed his wish to leave after a three-year spell with the Spanish champions.

Big-spenders Chelsea signed the midfield ball-winner for four years in a transfer deal completed on Sunday which Real put at 24 million euros ($26.35 million) but which Chelsea refused to disclose.

"It took me some time to make up my mind," said Makelele who has yet to link up with manager Claudio Ranieri's squad. He is with France preparing for Euro 2004 qualifiers against Cyprus in Paris on Saturday and away to Slovenia in Ljubljana next week.

"I decided to join Chelsea because I knew I could do something there. Now I'm going to focus on this new challenge."

Makelele said he was impatient to train and play alongside his France team mates Marcel Desailly, William Gallas and Emmanuel Petit.

Asked if he felt sore after the dispute with Real Madrid, Makelele said: "I don't have anything to prove to anybody anymore. I think I proved a lot with Madrid. And people saw that I was one of the best midfielders in the world."

Makelele helped Real win their ninth European Cup in 2002 and the domestic league title in 2001 and last season.

"I'm only sorry that my spell at Madrid ended the way it did," he said. "Some officials there did not play fairly with me."