Arrived in Accra, his hometown, on March 16, Marcel Desailly, world champion in 1998, emerged Sunday from three weeks of confinement in the capital of Ghana. Reached by phone, the former player from Marseille and Milan gives his look and his concern about the situation in Africa. The 51-year-old BeIN Sports consultant also keeps a clear opinion on the resumption of the championships while distilling strong messages for the future.
How was your confined life?
MARCEL DESAILLY. Good. We could move to go shopping. Ghana lifted the containment on Sunday because the number of infected did not increase (Editor's note: more than a thousand confirmed cases for 9 deaths) . In view of the economic consequences, the government took the risk of restarting. Only certain markets, schools, sports and religious meetings are still closed. Africans are conditioned. They live with malaria, cholera, Ebola ... There is a discipline and a civic sense among the upper and middle classes with hand washing, many masks available ... Some organize to make their own mask. I am surprised even if Ghana is an Anglo-Saxon country.
Do you fear an increase in the epidemic in Africa?
We know we are sitting on a time bomb. At any time, the coronavirus can explode in Africa! We are currently talking about more than 1,000 dead on a continent of just over a billion people. It's not a lot. Now, are the statistics collected really the same on the ground? Maybe people die from Covid-19 and it is said to be malaria…
Pape Diouf, the former president of Marseille and also your former agent, died on March 31 of the consequences of Covid-19…
I did not express myself, out of modesty, because I considered him a member of my family.
What did you think of a controversial sequence on the LCI chain between two doctors evoking medical tests against the coronavirus in Africa?
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It was awful! Hear that we are going to swing in the veins of Africans a product to see what it gives… A life is a life! Or we don't respect anything anymore. It's the end of the world there! I did not like the acceptance of some African presidents. On the other hand, I appreciate the position of Germany where 200 people have volunteered for clinical trials of a vaccine.
How about a young football enthusiast who finds it difficult to stay confined to his home?
It's a real test! It is not easy especially when you live in 30 m2. You have to adapt while being very strong psychologically. These kids can do cardio exercises to stay in shape. Watch videos too.
Lionel Messi and his FC Barcelona teammates have decided to cut their wages by 70%. Would you have done the same?
People have a very negative perception of footballers on the idea that one earns a lot of money easily when it is a full-fledged job like an actor, a boxer, a trader or a business manager. No one should judge us if we do or we don't. For me there are two things. First, the economic reality of my football environment must dictate to me whether or not I should lower my salary for my club. I'm not going to lower it because there are hundreds of people who die from coronavirus every day. On the other hand, to fight against the Covid-19, I would make it a personal affair with my savings. And I would use my free time to collect, for example, jerseys and shoes to create a kitty and help, as many citizens are doing right now, hospitals.
Do you recommend the resumption of the championships?
Once the epidemic is over, I hope, like UEFA (Editor's note: the European body) , that the championships will go to the end in order to validate the efforts of the players who have played 25 to 30 games this season. Even if the players play a match every three days ... Liverpool, for example, has been waiting for its title of champion of England for 30 years and deserves it. There is also a real economic necessity for the world of football. We can restart the next championships a little later. And why not slightly shift the Euro (Editor's note: which must be held from June 11 to July 11, 2021) .
Do you understand that the majority of footballers are reluctant to resume competition?
Absolutely! You have to accept this fear. It is legitimate for the player to ask questions. I don't want to hear "yes but with the money they earn, the soccer players could try to play ..." We are human beings. Money is not our engine. We want to play soccer first.
Do you see the world changing after the pandemic?
People will no longer be the same. I, for example, am totally different. I learned to accept that you shouldn't be obsessed with professional success. We will now appreciate even more the moments of joy of everyday life, the family…
