Long before Chelsea were world champions and one of the biggest clubs in the world, a 29-year-old Marcel Desailly took a big risk.
In a recent interview, Marcel Desailly discussed his 1998 move to Chelsea.
The French centre-back was one of the first high-profile names to take a chance on a move to Stamford Bridge as the Blues were ascending to the upper echelon of English football.
Ruud Gullit, Gianfranco Zola and Roberto Di Matteo had all arrived in the seasons prior, but Chelsea had not yet brought in a defender of similar pedigree.
helsea new signing Gianfranco Zola meets the press with manager Ruud Gullit (right) at Stamford Bridge
11 Nov 1996: Chelsea new signing Gianfranco Zola meets the press with manager Ruud Gullit (right) at Stamford Bridge in London. Mandatory Credit: Ben Radford/Allsport
Desailly was already one of the most established centre-backs in Europe, having become the first player to win back-to-back Champions League trophies at different clubs, doing so with Marseille and AC Milan in 1993 and 1994.
Marcel Desailly hadn’t heard of Chelsea at that point
It’s a testament to how far Chelsea have come, that Desailly wasn’t even aware of the club at the time when he was dominating on the European stage.
As he revealed on The Overlap: “Before coming to Chelsea, I didn’t really know about Chelsea. I had never really heard about Chelsea in 92, 93, 94.”
Chelsea were a bottom-half team for a large part of the 90s, but began to creep up the table in the seasons before the Frenchman’s arrival. He would keep that momentum going, helping the Blues to a third-place finish in his first season.
Desailly acknowledged his part in the growth of the club, laying out the blueprint that worked for them.
He continues: “But they built the foundation with players. They were spending quite a lot, but they built up some kind of foundation.”
That foundation would reap plenty of rewards in the years after. In Desailly’s six seasons, Chelsea won just one FA Cup, but what came after would not have been possible without the captain’s contributions. The season after he left, Jose Mourinho arrived and won the league on his first try, kicking off the most successful period in the club’s history.
Desailly thinks rule changes have made his feat at Chelsea far more difficult
Desailly was at the forefront of a club rising up the Premier League, but he sees the nature of finances in football today as an obstacle to that kind of success.
Discussing clubs like Newcastle and Aston Villa, who are aiming for something similar, Desailly remarks: “There is a moment where we should open up a little bit more. I mean, I’m not into the administration, but we should open it a bit more.
“We should not be scared about the money injected into the football business.”
Marcel Desailly brings out the FIFA World Cup Trophy prior to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022
Photo by Michael Regan – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
Though it was never touched upon in this sit-down, it would be interesting to know what the World Cup-winner makes of Chelsea’s new strategy.
Judging by the method he thinks works, he is probably looking for the same thing fans have been wanting.
He claims: “I think that’s you need to build up a generation of players that does not cost you too much, and you top up with experienced players.”
Chelsea have certainly ticked off the first part, boasting some of the best young talent in Europe. But in order to get back to title-winning ways, the Blues need to deviate from current policy and bring in some experienced heads, particularly at the back.
A signing like this one they made in 1998 is exactly what Chelsea need to take the next step.