Chelsea icon Claude Makelele could make a surprise return to English football - days on from leaving his last management role after three games.

The former France international left Greek side Asteras Tripolis just three games into his tenure following a disagreement with the club's owners. Just days after that shock exit, the ex-Real Madrid midfielder is in talks with Championship side Cardiff City, reports LondonWorld.

Makelele was widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders, if not the best, of his generation and played 217 times for Chelsea between 2003-08. However, the 51-year-old has not been as successful in the dugout, with the former Paris Saint-Germain star having underwhelming spells with Bastia and Eupen - prior to his very brief Asteras stint. Managerless Cardiff sit bottom of the Championship so this would be a tough task for Makelele to keep them in the division.

After retiring from football in 2011, Makelele was an assistant manager at PSG under Carlo Ancelotti. In 2014, he became head coach at French side Bastia but was sacked later that year after winning just 23.1 per cent of his matches. He spent nearly two years in charge at Belgian outfit Eupen, before returning to Chelsea in 2019 as a youth coach and technical mentor.

Time will tell if Makelele, who left his coaching role at Chelsea in September 2023 by mutual consent, is given the chance to try and guide lowly Cardiff to safety this season. He is keen to return to management soon.