Marcel Desailly French Footballer Born 1968 in Accra

Early life

Marcel Desailly was born on 7 September 1968 in Accra, Ghana. He was adopted soon after birth by a diplomat, Marcel Desailly Sr., and took his surname. The family moved to France when he was four. He began his football career in the youth programme of FC Nantes, where he played alongside Didier Deschamps, who became his closest friend.

Career

Desailly turned professional with Nantes in 1986 and stayed until 1992, mainly as a centre-back. He then joined Olympique de Marseille, where he was reunited with Deschamps, and in the following year he won the UEFA Champions League. In 1993 he moved to AC Milan, and in 1994 he won the competition again, scoring in the final. That made him the first player to win the trophy with two different clubs, and the first to win it with different clubs in consecutive seasons. At Milan he also won two Italian league titles, in 1994 and 1996. Although he preferred to play as a sweeper or centre-back, the presence of other established centre-backs such as Franco Baresi, Alessandro Costacurta and Filippo Galli meant he was often used as a defensive midfielder beside Demetrio Albertini.

In 1998 Desailly signed for Chelsea for a reported fee of 4.6 million pounds. He captained the side and played as a sweeper and centre-back until the end of the 2003-04 season, forming a partnership with Frank Leboeuf. His main trophy there was the 2000 FA Cup, won against Aston Villa. In 2004 he moved to Al-Gharafa in Qatar, where he was appointed club captain, and under the French coach Bruno Metsu the team won the Qatar League in 2005. He then joined Qatar SC, who finished second in the league, and retired from professional football in 2006 after a club career that began in 1986.

For France, Desailly made his international debut in 1993, but he was not a first-choice defender until 1996. He played in the team that won the 1998 FIFA World Cup, and in the final, a 3-0 win over Brazil, he was sent off after a second yellow card. France won UEFA Euro 2000, and after the tournament he became national team captain following the retirement of Deschamps. He also won the Confederations Cup in 2001 and 2003. In April 2003 he passed the record for appearances for France, and his total reached 116 caps, with three goals, when he retired from international football after UEFA Euro 2004. Lilian Thuram later broke that record during the 2006 World Cup. His consistency and strength earned him the nickname "The Rock", and in 2004 Pelé included him in the FIFA 100 list of the greatest living players.

Recognition

Desailly was appointed a Knight of the Legion of Honour in 1998, as were the other members of the World Cup winning squad. He won the Onze de Onze award six times, in 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001, and he was named in the team of the tournament at both UEFA Euro 1996 and UEFA Euro 2000. He was also in the 1998 FIFA World Cup All-Star Team. Later honours include the Trophée d'honneur UNFP in 2005, a place in the AC Milan Hall of Fame and the Golden Foot Legends Award in 2017.

Public roles

Desailly is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, serving for Ghana, and he is a lifetime ambassador for OrphanAid Africa, a charity that helps abandoned children in Ghana. He is a member of the Laureus Academy and a supporter of the 1GOAL Education for All campaign. In 2011 he opened a sports facility for young players, the Lizzy Sports Complex, in Ghana, and he sold his interest in the business in October 2019.

After retiring he worked as a pundit, first for BBC Sport during the 2006 World Cup and later at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations and UEFA Euro 2008. He also commentates for the French channel Canal Plus and joined ITV Sport for its coverage of the 2010 World Cup. His autobiography, Capitaine, was published in 2002.