Marcel Desailly

Marcel David Desailly was born on 7 September 1968 in Accra, Ghana, to Elizabeth Addy. Elizabeth married Mr Abbey, an architect, and became pregnant with Desailly while Marcel Desailly Sr., a diplomat who would become Desailly's adoptive father, was away in France. He was adopted by Desailly Sr. soon after he was born and was named after his adoptive father, instead of Odenkey Abbey, the name preferred by his biological father. His mother married Desailly Sr., who adopted all of her children (the former professional footballer Seth Adonkor, seven years his elder, was a half-brother of his). The family relocated to France when Desailly was four years old. ==Club career==

Following Adonkor's lead, Desailly began his career at Nantes. There, as part of the famed Nantes youth programme, he played alongside a young Didier 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 to Marseille, where he reunited with Deschamps, and won the UEFA Champions League the following year. In 1994, while playing for AC Milan, he again won the Cup (scoring in the final himself), becoming the first player to win the rebranded tournament with two different clubs, and also the first ever player to win the Cup with different clubs in consecutive seasons. During his time in Milan, he won two Italian league titles, in 1994 and 1996. Although he preferred to be deployed as a sweeper or centre-back, roles which he played during his time in France, he found much success playing as a defensive midfielder for Milan, alongside Demetrio Albertini, due to the presence of several other established centre-backs at the club, such as Franco Baresi, Alessandro Costacurta and Filippo Galli. Desailly then moved to the English club Chelsea in 1998 for £4.6 million, where he captained the side and played sweeper and centre-back until the end of the 2003–04 season. It was at Chelsea that Desailly formed a formidable partnership with Frank Leboeuf. He picked up one major trophy in his six seasons at Stamford Bridge, being on the winning side in their FA Cup triumph over Aston Villa in 2000. Desailly was snapped up by Qatari outfit Al-Gharafa in 2004. He was appointed as the club captain and under the French coach Bruno Metsu they won the Qatar League in 2005. He then joined Qatar S.C., leading them to second place in the league before retiring from professional football. In 2014, Desailly had met the Football Association of Malaysia and said he was ready and willing to coach the Malaysia national team. He also pointed that it was up to the football association whether to hire him or not. ==International career==

During an interview in Ghana, Desailly 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." 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 the 1998 FIFA World Cup, albeit being sent off in the final match, being the only player on the winning team to be dismissed in a World Cup final. Like other team members, he was appointed a Knight of the Legion of Honour in 1998. Two years later, success continued as France won UEFA Euro 2000. After the tournament, Desailly was made captain of the national team, following the retirement of Didier Deschamps. In 2001, he led France to victory in the Confederations 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 following 2004 UEFA European Football Championship. However, that record was broken during the 2006 FIFA World Cup by Lilian Thuram. ==Style of play==

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 defenders ever. He stood out for his charismatic leadership and ability to organise his team's back-line and break down opposition plays throughout his career. He excelled in the air and at anticipating his opponents, combining his aggression, stamina, and ability to read the game, with his physical, mental, and defensive skills. A notable confidence and good technique on the ball also allowed him to play in midfield throughout his career; after moving to Milan, although he initially started out playing as a centre-back or sweeper, and occasionally even as a full-back, he was later deployed as a defensive midfielder, a position in which he also excelled, successfully filling the void left by the departure of Frank Rijkaard due 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. In 2004, he was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 as one of the world's greatest living players. ==Legacy==

Desailly is currently residing in Ghana. 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 the Ghana national team. 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. Desailly sold his interest in the business to Osei Kwame Despite in October 2019. ==Post-playing career==

Desailly's autobiography, Capitaine, was published in 2002. In 2010, Desailly joined the ITV Sport team for their World Cup coverage from South Africa. Charity work in 2009. Desailly is a supporter of the 1GOAL Education for All campaign. He is also the UNICEF national Goodwill Ambassador for Ghana. 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 A mobile video game entitled Marcel Desailly Pro Soccer, developed by Gameloft was released for mobile phones in 2003. In France Ubisoft released versions of the game for PlayStation and PlayStation 2. Desailly is an ICON in FIFA 21 Ultimate Team and FIFA 22 Ultimate Team with ratings of 87 (base), 88 (mid), 91 (prime), and 92 (Prime Icon Moments)in both games. ==Personal life==

Desailly is married to Virginie Desailly, and as of October 1998 has three children. His nephew James Édouard Adams is a semi-professional footballer. ==Career statistics==

Club International :''Scores and results list France's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Desailly goal'' ==Honours==

Marseille • UEFA Champions League: 1992–93 AC Milan • Serie A: 1993–94, 1995–96 • Supercoppa Italiana: 1994 • UEFA Champions League: 1993–94 • European Super Cup: 1994 Chelsea • FA Cup: 1999–2000 • FA Charity Shield: 2000 • UEFA Super Cup: 1998 Al-Gharafa • Qatar Stars League: 2004–05 France • Overseas Team of the Decade – Premier League 10 Seasons Awards (1992/93 – 2001/02) • Overall Team of the Decade – Premier League 10 Seasons Awards (1992/93 – 2001/02) • FIFA XI: 1996 • 1998 FIFA World Cup All-Star Team • FIFA 100: 2004 • Trophée d'honneur UNFP: 2005 • AC Milan Hall of Fame Orders • Knight of the Legion of Honour: 1998 ==See also==