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Marcel Desailly

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Marcel Desailly
Desailly at the 2024Laureus World Sports Awards
Personal information
Full name Marcel Desailly[1]
Birth name Odenke Abbey
Date of birth (1968-09-07)7 September 1968(age 56)[2]
Place of birth Accra,Ghana
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[3]
Position(s) Centre-back,defensive midfielder
Youth career
1980–1986 Nantes
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1986–1992 Nantes 162 (5)
1992–1993 Marseille 47 (1)
1993–1998 Milan 137 (5)
1998–2004 Chelsea 158 (6)
2004–2005 Al-Gharafa 28 (6)
2005–2006 Qatar SC 7 (0)
Total 539 (23)
International career
1993–2004 France 116 (3)
Medal record
Men'sfootball
RepresentingFrance
FIFA World Cup
Winner 1998 France
UEFA European Championship
Winner 2000 Belgium-Netherlands
FIFA Confederations Cup
Winner 2001 Korea-Japan
Winner 2003 France
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Marcel Desailly(French pronunciation:[maʁsɛldəzaji];bornOdenke Abbey;7 September 1968) is a former professionalfootballer,capable of playing as bothcentre-backordefensive midfielder.During a successful career at club level, lasting from 1986 to 2006, Desailly won several titles, includingUEFA Champions Leaguemedals with bothMarseilleandAC Milan,and also played forNantesandChelsea,among other teams. At international level, he collected 116 caps between 1993 and 2004, scoring three goals, and was a member of theFrance international squadsthat won the1998 World CupandEuro 2000.

Club career

[edit]

Marcel Desailly was born as Odenke Abbey on 7 September 1968 inAccra,Ghana, the son of Ghanaian parents. He had his name changed when his mother married the head of the French Consulate in Accra, who adopted all of her children (the former professional footballerSeth Adonkor,seven years his elder, was a half-brother of his). The family relocated to France when Desailly was four years old. Following Adonkor's lead, he began his career atNantes.There, as part of the famed Nantes youth programme, he played alongside a youngDidier Deschamps,who became his closest friend. Desailly turned professional in 1986, two years after his half-brother had died in a car accident. In 1992, he moved toMarseille,where he reunited with Deschamps, and won theUEFA Champions Leaguethe following year. In 1994, while playing forAC Milan,he again won the Cup (scoring in thefinalhimself), being the first player to win the Cup in consecutive seasons with different clubs. During his time in Milan, he won two Italian league titles, in 1994 and 1996. Although he preferred to be deployed as asweeperorcentre-back,roles which he played during his time in France,[4]he found much success playing as adefensive midfielderfor Milan, alongsideDemetrio Albertini,due to the presence of several other established centre-backs at the club, such asFranco Baresi,Alessandro CostacurtaandFilippo Galli.

Desailly then moved to the English clubChelseain 1998 for £4.6 million,[5]where hecaptainedthe side and played sweeper and centre-back until the end of the2003–04 season.It was at Chelsea that Desailly formed a formidable partnership withFrank Leboeuf.

He picked up one major trophy in his six seasons withChelsea,being on the winning side in theirFA Cuptriumph overAston Villain2000.[6]

Desailly was snapped up by Qatari outfitAl-Gharafain 2004. He was appointed as the club captain and under the French coachBruno Metsuthey won theQatar Leaguein 2005. He then joinedQatar S.C.,leading them to second place in the league before retiring from professional football.

In 2014, Desailly had met theFootball Association of Malaysiaand said he was ready and willing to coach theMalaysia national team.[7]He also pointed that it was up to the football association whether to hire him or not.[8]

International career

[edit]

Desailly has often said that he feels totally French and while having ties with Ghana, never even considered playing for a country other than France.[citation needed]During an interview in Ghana, he stated that he did not have much choice about which country to play for, as he was already established in the French national youth football team.[9]This stance was restated in his autobiography, published in 2002. He made his international debut in 1993, but was not established as a first choice defender until 1996.

He was an important part of the French team which won the1998 FIFA World Cup,albeit being sent off in thefinal match.Like other team members, he was appointed aKnight of the Legion of Honourin 1998.[1]

Two years later, success continued as France wonUEFA Euro 2000.After the tournament, Desailly was made captain of the national team, following the retirement ofDidier Deschamps.In 2001, he led France to victory in theConfederations Cup.

In April 2003, Desailly surpassed the record for the number of appearances for the French team, a number which eventually reached 116 when he announced his retirement from international football following2004 UEFA European Football Championship.However, that record was broken during the2006 FIFA World CupbyLilian Thuram.

Style of play

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Nicknamed "The Rock", due to his consistency, strength, and hard-tackling playing style, Desailly is considered one of the most accomplished players of his generation, and one of the finest Frenchdefendersever, who stood out for his charismatic leadership and ability to organise his team's back-line and break down opposition plays throughout his career. A quick, hard-working, tenacious and powerful player, who excelled in the air and at anticipating his opponents, he combined his aggression, stamina, and ability to read the game, as well as his physical, mental, and defensive skills, with a notable confidence and good technique on the ball, which also allowed him to play inmidfieldthroughout his career; indeed, after moving to Milan, although he initially started out playing as a centre-back or sweeper, and occasionally even as afull-back,he was later deployed as a defensive midfielder, a position in which he also excelled, successfully filling the void left by the departure ofFrank Rijkaarddue his ball-winning abilities and capacity to start attacking plays after winning back possession. In addition to his defensive skills, he was also capable of contributing to his team's offensive plays with goals by making attacking runs into the box.[4][10][11][12][13]In 2004, he was named byPeléin theFIFA 100as one of the world's greatest living players.[14]

Legacy

[edit]
Marcel Desaillyat a press conference during the celebration of the 2024Laureus World Sports Awards.

Marcel Desailly is currently[when?]residing in Ghana.[15]He is currently a Laureus Academy member and OrphanAid Africa Lifetime ambassador to Ghana and France (since 2005). He was mentioned as a possible candidate for the coaching position of theGhana national team.[16]He has since pulled out of the race to coach the Ghana national team, although the option is likely to keep coming up. In June 2011, he opened a sports facility in Ghana called Lizzy Sports Complex, in memory of his late mother, geared to young players and children in particular. Many African national teams use the centre as a camp to prepare for international tournaments.[17]Desailly sold his interest in the business toOsei Kwame Despitein October 2019.[18][19]

Post-playing career

[edit]
Desailly on stage at the launch of1GOAL Education for Allin 2009.

Desailly's autobiography,Capitaine,was published in France by Stock in 2002.

Media work

[edit]

Following retirement, Desailly became apunditforBBC Sportpredominantly giving his opinion from the touchline at both half time and full-time as opposed to residing in the studio withAlan Hansen,Alan ShearerandMartin O'Neill.

He worked forBBC Sportin the United Kingdom during the2006 World Cup,as one of theirMatch of the Dayanalysts.

He also worked for BBC Sport at the2008 Africa Cup of NationsandEuro 2008and is a regular commentator for French television channelCanal Plus.

He also became a spokesperson for sports betting website Betclic.[20]

In 2010, Desailly joined theITV Sportteam for theirWorld Cupcoverage from South Africa.[21][22]

Charity work

[edit]

Desailly is a supporter of the1GOAL Education for Allcampaign.[23]He is also theUNICEFnational Goodwill Ambassador for Ghana.[24]He is the Lifetime Goodwill Ambassador for his personal Charity OrphanAid Africa, that helps abandoned children in Ghana. He is a member of the Laureus Sports for Good Foundation.

Licensed merchandise

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A mobile video game entitledMarcel Desailly Pro Soccer,developed byGameloftwas released for mobile phones in 2003.[25]Desailly is an ICON inFIFA 21Ultimate Teamand FIFA 22 Ultimate Team with ratings of 87 (base), 88 (mid), 91 (prime), and 92 (Prime Icon Moments)in both games.[26]

Personal life

[edit]

Desailly is a member of theGa ethnic group.He is married to Virginie Desailly and has four children. His nephew James Édouard Adams is a semi-professional footballer.[27]

Career statistics

[edit]

Club

[edit]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[28][29][30][31][32]
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Nantes 1986–87 Division 1 13 0 1 0 – 2 0 – 16 0
1987–88 Division 1 11 0 1 0 – – – 12 0
1988–89 Division 1 36 1 4 0 – – – 40 1
1989–90 Division 1 36 1 3 0 – – – 39 1
1990–91 Division 1 34 1 4 0 – – – 38 1
1991–92 Division 1 32 2 1 0 – – – 33 2
Total 162 5 14 0 — 2 0 — 178 5
Marseille 1992–93 Division 1 31 1 3 0 – 10 1 – 44 2
1993–94 Division 1 16 0 0 0 – – – 16 0
Total 47 1 3 0 — 10 1 — 60 2
AC Milan 1993–94 Serie A 21 1 1 0 0 0 6 2 3 0 31 3
1994–95 Serie A 22 1 1 0 0 0 10 0 3 0 36 1
1995–96 Serie A 32 2 1 0 – 7 0 – 40 2
1996–97 Serie A 29 1 3 0 1 0 5 0 – 38 1
1997–98 Serie A 33 0 8 0 – – – 41 0
Total 137 5 14 0 1 0 28 2 6 0 186 7
Chelsea 1998–99 Premier League 31 0 6 0 0 0 7 1 1 0 45 1
1999–2000 Premier League 23 1 4 0 0 0 16 0 – 43 1
2000–01 Premier League 34 2 2 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 39 2
2001–02 Premier League 24 1 8 0 3 0 2 0 – 37 1
2002–03 Premier League 31 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 – 33 2
2003–04 Premier League 15 0 1 0 1 0 8 0 – 25 0
Total 158 6 22 0 5 0 35 1 2 0 222 7
Al-Gharafa 2004–05 Stars League 28 6 – – 28 6
Qatar SC 2005–06 Stars League 7 0 – – 7 0
Career total 539 23 53 0 6 0 75 4 8 0 681 27

International

[edit]
Appearances and goals by national team and year[33]
National team Year Apps Goals
France 1993 4 0
1994 7 0
1995 7 1
1996 12 0
1997 7 0
1998 13 1
1999 11 0
2000 16 0
2001 12 1
2002 13 0
2003 9 0
2004 5 0
Total 116 3
Scores and results list France's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Desailly goal[34]
List of international goals scored by Marcel Desailly
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 6 September 1995 Stade de l'Abbé-Deschamps,Auxerre, France Azerbaijan 1–0 10–0 UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying
2 25 January 1998 Stade Vélodrome,Marseille, France Norway 3–3 3–3 Friendly
3 7 June 2001 Suwon World Cup Stadium,Suwon, South Korea Brazil 2–1 2–1 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup

Honours

[edit]

Marseille[35]

AC Milan[35][36]

Chelsea[37]

Al-Gharafa[38]

France[37]

Individual

Orders

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^abc"Décret du 24 juillet 1998 portant nomination à titre exceptionnel"[Decree of 24 July 1998 appointing on an exceptional basis].Official Journal of the French Republic(in French).1998(170). 25 July 1998. PREX9801916D.Retrieved2 January2021.
  2. ^"Marcel Desailly".Barry Hugman's Footballers.Retrieved27 September2017.
  3. ^"Marcel Desailly: Overview".Premier League.Retrieved26 December2020.
  4. ^ab"The five players Fabio Capello made superstars".The Daily Telegraph.16 December 2007.Retrieved16 December2007.
  5. ^"Desailly plans to join Lazio next summer".The Independent.21 December 1999.
  6. ^"Chelsea claim FA Cup glory".BBC News.20 May 2000.
  7. ^"Desailly eager to coach Malaysia".The Star.26 February 2014.Retrieved27 February2014.
  8. ^"Desailly Ready To Take Up Job of National Coach in Malaysia".Bernama.26 February 2014. Archived fromthe originalon 26 February 2014.Retrieved27 February2014.
  9. ^"I had no choice - Marcel Desailly on why he played for France".ghanaweb.com.GhanaWeb. 1 July 2020.Retrieved1 July2020.I didn't really have the choice, I was inside the system and (at) Under-13 I was already playing for France National team.
  10. ^ab"MasterCard All-Star Team of the 1998 World Cup".FIFA. 10 July 1998. Archived fromthe originalon 29 November 2014.Retrieved23 April2015.
  11. ^"BBC Sport: Euro 2000 Profile - Marcel Desailly".BBC Sport.Retrieved14 April2015.
  12. ^Hitesh Ratna (1 December 2007)."Ruud Gullit: Perfect XI".Four Four Two.Retrieved31 December2015.
  13. ^"Marcel DESAILLY (II)"(in Italian). magliarossonera.it.Retrieved23 November2017.
  14. ^ab"Pele's list of the greatest".BBC Sport. 4 March 2004.Retrieved15 June2013.
  15. ^"Marcel Desailly Biography, Career Info, Records & Achievements".www.sportskeeda.com.Retrieved26 May2020.
  16. ^"Desailly confirms intention to coach Ghana".BBC Sport.2 December 2007.
  17. ^"Marcel Desailly invests in Ghana Sports".GhanaWeb(published 7 March 2011). 30 November 2001.Retrieved26 October2022.
  18. ^"Osei Kwame Despite purchases Lizzy Sports Complex from Marcel Desailly - Report".GhanaWeb.27 October 2019.Retrieved3 January2024.
  19. ^https://www.modernghana.com/sports/1097728/lizzys-sports-complex-wasnt-profitable-marce.html.Retrieved3 January2024.{{cite news}}:Missing or empty|title=(help)
  20. ^"NBA champion Tony Parker Signs with Poker Site BetClic".Onlinepoker.net.26 February 2010.Retrieved13 June2010.
  21. ^ "World Cup 2010"Archived11 October 2012 at theWayback Machine.ITV.2 June 2010.
  22. ^"ITV signs up Patrick Vieira and Francois Pienaar for World Cup football coverage".The Daily Telegraph.28 May 2010.
  23. ^"Ambassadors and Supporters".1GOAL.Retrieved22 February2012.
  24. ^"National ambassadors".UNICEF.3 February 2012.Retrieved20 February2012.
  25. ^ "Marcel Desailly Pro Soccer"Archived27 August 2007 at theWayback Machine.Wireless IGN.com.26 April 2004. Retrieved 7 October 2008.
  26. ^FUT ICONS - EA
  27. ^"Boca Gibraltar sign James Edouard Adams – Lizzy Sports Complex".lizzysportscomplex.com.9 February 2018.Retrieved22 March2018.
  28. ^"Desailly career stats".Football Database.eu.Retrieved13 July2012.
  29. ^"Desailly Chelsea stats".Bounder.Friardale.co.uk.Retrieved13 July2012.
  30. ^"Marcel Desailly – Matches in European Cups".RSSSF.Retrieved17 April2013.
  31. ^"Desailly".National Football Teams.Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann.Retrieved25 January2013.
  32. ^"Desailly Qatar league stats".RSSSF.Retrieved25 January2013.
  33. ^"Marcel Desailly – Century of International Appearances".RSSSF.Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  34. ^"Marcel Desailly".EU-football.info.Retrieved25 January2013.
  35. ^ab"Marcel Desailly".Eurosport.com.Retrieved31 December2015.
  36. ^ab"A.C. Milan Hall of Fame: Marcel Desailly".acmilan.com.Retrieved1 April2015.
  37. ^ab"M. Desailly".Soccerway.Retrieved31 December2015.
  38. ^"Qatar - List of Champions".
  39. ^Pierrend, José Luis (6 March 2012).""Onze Mondial" Awards ".Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation.Retrieved26 December2015.
  40. ^abChristopher Davies (15 April 2003)."The Premiership elite selection 1993-2003".The Telegraph.Retrieved17 December2015.
  41. ^"1996 team of the tournament".UEFA. 18 November 2011.Retrieved30 December2015.
  42. ^"Matches of FIFA XI".RSSSF.Retrieved22 March2018.
  43. ^"UEFA Euro 2000 team of the tournament".uefa.com.UEFA. 1 January 2011.Retrieved31 March2015.
  44. ^"France – Footballer of the Year".RSSSF.8 January 2010.Archivedfrom the original on 5 September 2015.Retrieved16 October2015.
  45. ^ "Marcel Desailly nel gotha del calcio mondiale, suo il Golden Foot Hublot Legends".riviera24sport.it. 6 November 2017. Archived fromthe originalon 9 November 2017.Retrieved7 November2017.
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Sporting positions
Preceded by France national football teamcaptain
2000–2004 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chelsea F.C.captain
2001–2004 		Succeeded by
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