Marcel Desailly says 'lifestyle' was reason he snubbed Liverpool in favour of Chelsea
Marcel Desailly has admitted that he turned down the chance to join Liverpool because 'the lifestyle' was a problem.
Desailly, a World Cup winner with France who also won the Champions League with both Marseille and AC Milan, joined Chelsea in 1998 and picked up three trophies across six seasons.
Now 54, Desailly has explained why he didn't push through a move to Liverpool when leaving Italy - and how it involved the schooling of his children.
Speaking to BoyleSports, who offer the latest Premier League odds, Desailly said: "I was interested in joining Liverpool in 1998, they made a good proposal.
"But the area didn’t have a French school for my kids and the lifestyle was a problem compared to London.
"The lifestyle is probably why I joined Chelsea over Liverpool, yes. My wife made a real statement that she didn’t want me to drive between London and Liverpool while she stayed in London and my four kids did not have a French school.
"It’s one of the reasons at the time I chose Chelsea. Footballers are human beings, we have to deal with the internal elements that help us make decisions.
"And small things like that sometimes make the difference, because the money will be good wherever you go.
"You are trying to make the best deal out of the proposal, but at the end of the day you don’t really care. What you care about is also the lifestyle you are going to have on top of your football."
Desailly added to his notable major honours with FA Cup, Community Shield and UEFA Super Cup glory - before a spell in Qatar.
Speaking of his career last year, Desailly admitted that one event stands out above all others.
He said: "I must admit that I didn't realise the importance of it when I won the World Cup in 1998. It was in my post-football life that I really felt the importance of the World Cup.
"In fact, people talk to me about the World Cup every day. There is not a day that goes by without someone making a reference to the World Cup. The fact that we won this competition brings me energy, and that is magical."
