That is costing them control of the midfield. While their players whine, petition the ref, and roll on the ground, the French defense pushes the ball through the midfield for a counter attack.
Makelele is ramming the ball through midfield every time.
Makakele is the unheralded engine of the whole French team. He isn't as showy as Henry and Zidane but gets through a lot of work and wins a lot of tackles.
Good observation and very important for the French to release quickly.
They need counters to be effective.