Marcel David Desailly was born on 7 September 1968 inAccra, Ghana, to Elizabeth Addy.[7] 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.[8] 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.[9] His mother married Desailly Sr., 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.[citation needed]
Following Adonkor's lead, Desailly 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 League the following year. In 1994, while playing forAC Milan, he again won the Cup (scoring in thefinal himself), 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 asweeper orcentre-back, roles which he played during his time in France,[10] he found much success playing as adefensive midfielder for Milan, alongsideDemetrio Albertini, due to the presence of several other established centre-backs at the club, such asFranco Baresi,Alessandro Costacurta andFilippo Galli.[citation needed]
Desailly then moved to the English clubChelsea in 1998 for £4.6 million,[11] where hecaptained the 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.[citation needed]
He picked up one major trophy in his six seasons withChelsea, being on the winning side in theirFA Cup triumph overAston Villa in2000.[12]
Desailly was snapped up by Qatari outfitAl-Gharafa in 2004. He was appointed as the club captain and under the French coachBruno Metsu they won theQatar League in 2005. He then joinedQatar S.C., leading them to second place in the league before retiring from professional football.[citation needed]
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."[15] 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.[citation needed]
He was an important part of the French team which won the1998 FIFA World Cup, albeit being sent off in thefinal match, being the only player on the winning team to be dismissed in a World Cup final. Like other team members, he was appointed aKnight of the Legion of Honour in 1998.[16]
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.[citation needed]
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 finestdefenders ever, 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 inmidfield throughout 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 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.[10][17][18][19][20] In 2004, he was named byPelé in theFIFA 100 as one of the world's greatest living players.[21]
Desailly is currently[when?] residing in Ghana.[22] 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.[23] 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.[24] Desailly sold his interest in the business toOsei Kwame Despite in October 2019.[25][26]
Desailly is a supporter of the1GOAL Education for All campaign.[30] He is also theUNICEF national Goodwill Ambassador for Ghana.[31] 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.
A mobile video game entitledMarcel Desailly Pro Soccer, developed byGameloft was released for mobile phones in 2003.[32] In France Ubisoft released versions of the game for PlayStation and PlayStation 2.[33][34] Desailly is an ICON inFIFA 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.[35]
Desailly is married to Virginie Desailly,[36] and as of October 1998 has three children.[37] His nephew James Édouard Adams is a semi-professional footballer.[38]
^ab"Décret du 24 juillet 1998 portant nomination à titre exceptionnel" [Decree of 24 July 1998 appointing on an exceptional basis].Journal officiel de la République française [Official Journal of the French Republic] (in French).1998 (170). 25 July 1998. PREX9801916D. Retrieved2 January 2021.
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