During the 1998 World Cup, the French team was in full preparation in Clairefontaine, in a usually peaceful cocoon. However, Marcel Desailly will live a night that he will never forget.
In 2023, in an interview for the team, the world champion said: “In the middle of the night, I get up to go drink. In the corridor, I come face to face with a guy I didn't know. It was an intruder. If he had wanted, he could have “planted” me. We found ourselves face to face, in the same corridor … “
A frightening face to face
Prudent, Desailly does not try anything and lets the man continue on his way. He will never know if he was armed or what he had been able to steal. The incident, passed over in silence at the time, will not disturb the preparation of the Blues.
A few days later, Desailly will raise the World Cup with her teammates, as if nothing had happened. However, this face-to-face at night remains one of the wildest experiences of his career.
This anecdote shows that even in the secure environment of Clairefontaine, the unexpected can knock at any time. She also reveals the composure of a champion, capable of keeping her calm in the face of a potentially dangerous situation.
