INTERVIEW: Desailly - In defence of FIFA and the future of France

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  • Les Blues legend Marcel Desailly takes control of possession during his time at Milan.

    When considering the greatest global figures in football, few carry more gravitas than Marcel Desailly.

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    He is the Ghana-born adopted son of the head of the French Consulate in Accra who went on to make 116 international appearances for France, in the process lifting World Cup 1998 and Euro 2000 with Les Bleus. An exceptional club career saw him shine in four countries, historically winning the UEFA Champions League in successive seasons at Marseille and AC Milan in 1993 and 1994 before setting a platform for Chelsea’s future success and becoming a trailblazer in Qatar with Al Gharafa and Qatar SC.

    When the 46-year-old discusses the state of the modern game, he speaks from a learned and broad position matched by few others. The converted centre-back comes from an esteemed position which contains working knowledge of both the traditional powers and the new stakeholders in the sport. 

    The obvious starting point when in his affable presence is the ongoing FIFA corruption scandal. With 14 people indicted by United States authorities, Swiss prosecutors investigating 53 cases of possible money laundering in their inquiry into bidding for the Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 World Cups and president Sepp Blatter vowing to step aside, the issue is dominating the news agenda.

    Insidious wrongs have been committed which must be legally punished, but Desailly insists “you cannot deny the bigger picture” when reviewing what has occurred during Blatter’s 17-year term.

    Desailly made 158 appearances in his six seasons at Stamford Bridge.

    “It is a difficult situation, we are waiting for the FBI to prove really, officially, with documents [what has happened],” he tells Sport360. “Honestly when you look at football when Sepp Blatter was made FIFA president in 1998, the global budget for the World Cup in France, or South Korea and Japan, Germany etc. He has really boosted the interests of football across the world.

    “They have done a great job. Even when they have chosen countries over other ones, it was really for the good of football.

    “When they went to Japan and South Korea [in 2002], it was not easy to split the tournament into two. Germany in 2006 was easy as it is in Europe, but to give it to South Africa in 2010 was a big deal. In 2014, Brazil was in need to continue to develop the economy. Their government put money into the infrastructure while it was an emerging country, then it was a great choice at the time.

    “Let us hit the ones who have stolen, and see what is going on. But when you look globally, a lot of hard work has been done.

    “The corruption did not directly affect the football. We are talking about a couple of million here and there, but we are talking about $5 billion revenue for the [2014 Brazil tournament – which FIFA state raised $4.8bn for the organisation] World Cup that went into the system. Let’s hit the people who steal, but you cannot deny the bigger picture.”

    Next year sees Desailly’s France – the country he was brought up in from the age of four – host Euro 2016. He has happy memories of the last time a major tournament was played on home soil, being an important part of Aime Jacquet’s side who went on to claim the 1998 World Cup.

    A link to both is provided by Didier Deschamps, the head coach lifting football’s most prestigious trophy as captain nearly two decades ago. The 46-year-old is in charge of a side which possesses leading talents such as Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba, Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema and Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, yet Desailly cautions World Cup 2018 is when this current crop will be at their best.

    He adds: “It is hard, very hard for France. Most of the players aren’t first choice in their clubs or in doubt of being first choice. In friendly games we are struggling a little bit, conceding a lot of goals and losing to Belgium and Brazil. I am not sure one year is enough to get that team to reaching the level to win it.

    “Can they win it? We are really having doubts. We were not [tipped to win World Cup 1998]. But in 1996 we started to build a team, we went out of the semi-finals of Euro 96 to Czech Republic on penalties.

    “I feel like 2016 is too early, maybe for Russia 2018, we will be ready.

    “But because of Didier, I want to trust and I want to believe we will be there.”

    Desailly gained prominence more than 20 years ago, being the standout player in his second Champions League final with 
    Milan in 1994. The success featured arguably the greatest collective performance in the competition’s long history, Johan Cruyff’s 

    Barcelona ‘Dream Team’ shockingly dismantled 4-0 by opposition, lacking legendary striker Marco van Basten because of chronic injury and iconic defenders Franco Baresi and Alessandro Costacurta through suspension.

    Desailly excelled on an Athens pitch, which contained many of the best players around, rampaging from the defensive midfield position to slot home the final goal.

    “We could not expect it,” he says. “We had some great players, like Dejan Savicevic. He was not known at international level but what a goal he scored against Andoni Zubizarreta [the Montenegrin chipped the giant goalkeeper from an impressive angle].
    “Everything came perfectly. Collectively, we were together and we scored early.

    “We were very strong. We had doubts as Baresi and Costacurta were out, but collectively we were so strong. When I scored the final goal, it was a moment of great emotion.”

    It is 21 years since that moment, as Desailly burst through to curl a finish high into the net before wheeling away in ecstasy. The memory remains a vivid one.

    He says: “I remember it well. Demetrio Albertini gave me the ball and I was a bit scared, as I was not used to being in front of the goal. I saw the keeper, he made a little mistake by going a bit too early. I could see there was a big gap on the right and I just shifted it through and then scored.”

    * Desailly was speaking at the opening of the UEFA Champions League experience at Yas Mall, the first-ever UEFA Champions League-themed retail and dining concept in the region

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