Desailly quits international football

July 04, 2004 20:03 IST

France captain Marcel Desailly is to quit international football, he told French television on Sunday.

The 35-year-old defender, who plays in London for Chelsea, told TF1: "The time has come when I must stop."

Marcel Desailly "I'm not playing as well as I did because I can't run up and down the pitch as much as I used to," Desailly was quoted as saying on the TF1 website.

Desailly, who won the World Cup in 1998 and Euro 2000 with France, made a record 116 appearances for the national side over 11 years.

He played his last game for France at Euro 2004 in a 2-2 draw with Croatia, his only appearance at the tournament. France were knocked out by Greece in the quarter-finals.

Get Rediff News in your Inbox:

Source:

© Copyright 2024 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.