Desailly announces international retirement

Marcel Desailly has announced his retirement from international football after a record 116 appearances for France.

The Chelsea defender looked well below his best in Portugal, starting only one game as France crashed out of Euro 2004 at the quarter-final stage, and he has decided to call it a day at the age of 35.

“The moment when it is necessary for me to stop has arrived,” Desailly said on L’Equipe.

“I am not as effective as I was; I can no longer do what I was able to do in the past. I compensate with experience where I can.”

Although he no longer appeared able to cope with the demands of international football at Euro 2004, Desailly was a mainstay of the France side that won the 1998 World Cup and the European Championships two years later.

“There were some fantastic moments, some wonderful memories and some incredible emotions,” Desailly continued.

Desailly made his debut for France against Sweden on August 22, 1993, in a qualifying match for the 1994 World Cup.

His last appearance for the team was in their 2-2 draw with Croatia in the group stages of Euro 2004.

At club level, Desailly won the Champions League title with both Marseille and AC Milan, before moving from Milan to Chelsea after the 1998 World Cup.

He is one of only three players to have won more than 100 caps for France, with Didier Deschamps (103), and Lilian Thuram (102), the other two.