“In 2002 we went into the first World Cup in Asia as reigning champions and we had also added the European crown in 2000, playing better football and with more confidence in our ability.”

French former professional footballer

Marcel Desailly is a French former professional footballer, active from 1986 to 2006. He played as a centre-back or defensive midfielder, and is known for a club career that brought him major honours in Europe, along with success for France on the international stage. At club level, he won UEFA Champions League titles with Marseille and AC Milan, and also played for Nantes and Chelsea, among other teams. For France, he earned 116 caps between 1993 and 2004 and scored three goals. He was part of the squads that won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.