In an interview with the media, former Chelsea player Malouda recalled in detail the twists and turns of his journey to join Chelsea and revealed the inside story of how Liverpool and Real Madrid had also been chasing him.
Malouda said that Liverpool were keen to sign him at the time and even agreed a transfer fee with the Lyon club. However, he never agreed to the terms of the contract offered by Liverpool because it felt like too many people tried to meddle in the deal and force him to go to Liverpool, which disgusted him.
It was at this point that Chelsea made an offer to Malouda, with Mourinho having made his interest in him clear from day one. Malouda was excited by the offer as he knew a lot about Chelsea and had a lot of familiar players playing there. After much deliberation, Malouda finally decided to join Chelsea and explained his decision to Lyon.
Malouda also revealed that Real Madrid also made him an offer that summer, but his former Lyon coach, Gérard Houllier, kept advising him to experience the Premier League. While Liverpool were also a good option, Chelsea were always his first choice.
During his six years at Chelsea, Malouda made 80 appearances for the French national team and won one Premier League title, three FA Cups, a Community Shield and the 2012 UEFA Champions League with the team. This experience became one of the most memorable times of his career.
When asked about his favorite coaches during his time at Chelsea, Malouda said Carlo Ancelotti and Guus Hiddink were his favorites. They had similar management styles and won the FA Cup together. Although his time with Mourinho was short, Malouda is keen to work with him for a longer period of time and says that he would like the opportunity to work with him again in the future.
Malouda has played under eight resident coaches during his career at Stamford Bridge and each one has taught him something different and rewarding. He laments, "I learned something about myself and my game from every coach during my time at Chelsea."
