Chelsea winger Florent Malouda has branded English football "brainless".

Despite being widely regarded as the best football league in the world, the French international, who scored on his debut for Chelsea in the Community Shield, had only criticism for the way football is played in England.

"During the actual games it is as though everybody's brains are switched off. People play by instinct, spontaneously, in the way they did when they first discovered football," said Malouda.

Chelsea's £13 million summer signing, who has been out of action a knee injury, also described training sessions at Chelsea as "terrifying",

The French international blasted his team's full-blooded training sessions and dietary control after revealing the culture shock suffered since his £13million move from Lyon in the summer.

"The people at Chelsea don't control what the players eat," said Malouda. "You can help yourself to whatever you like, drink Coke or anything.

"It's a good thing I came here when I was 27 and so haven't been following the same diet as the rest of the players."

Malouda, who joined the Blues from Olympique Lyon has been sidelined since straining knee ligaments against Schalke in the Champions League a month ago but is anticipating a hectic Christmas schedule.

"I have been warned about the Christmas periods in English football," he said. "They sound terrible."