A front runner in the fierce race to the vacant Black Stars coaching job, Marcel Desailly, has denied that he has asked for a salary of €100,000 before he accepts to handle the national team.
According to a source very close to the former France Captain and member of the triumphant 1998 World Cup team, Desailly has not talked to anyone about remuneration since he declared his interest in the job left vacant by Serbian Milovan Rajevac.
The source also described as ‘false’ reports in some media circles that the former France international was insisting on bringing down a team of foreign coaches to assist him if he is handed the job.
He reaffirmed Desailly’s absolute confidence in Ghanaian coaches to assist him in the Black Stars’ coaching job.
In an exclusive interview with the Graphic Sports mid week, the source, who pleaded anonymity, Desailly rather wants the FA to make him an offer for him to consider.
As a demonstration of his confidence in Ghanaian coaches, Desailly’s backroom technical team will comprise only Ghanaians, the source said.
He will also get a time-tested psychologist attached to the team on a permanent basis.
And with a view to enhancing the capacity of Ghanaian coaches, Desailly will exploit his international connections to get some of them to undertake modern coaching courses.
Meanwhile, with the list of applicants having already crossed the 50 mark, football-crazy Ghanaians are eagerly awaiting the announcement of Milovan Rajevac’s successor.
Luis Felipe Scolari (Big Phil), who led Brazil to their fith World conquest at Korea/Japan 2002, and the man who replaced him as Portugal coach, Queiros, are among high profile applicants for the Black Stars job that has lately become attractive.
With the head-hunting option of appointing the next Stars coach likely to be resorted to because of the race against time, the contest is certain to be narrowed down to two or three names. But by far Marcel Desailly, aka Odenke Abbey, appears to be a strong candidate.
A Champions League winner with Olympique Marseille and AC Milan, Desailly is clearly benefitting from the revulsion against the hiring of foreign coaches, most of whom in the past abandoned the national team when they were most needed.
His huge stature, in terms of national team and club achievements, apart from being well-connected in global football, is his trump card.
The source insists that as far as commitment to the job is concerned, Desailly will have all the time to work with the team because his family is permanently resident in Ghana.
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