Marcel Desailly, the iconic French footballer and 1998 World Cup winner, is set to appear in court over a paternity dispute involving a 10-year-old girl he has reportedly refused to acknowledge. The case, involving his former partner, Cosma Batista de Alcantara, and their daughter, Victoria, will be heard at the Paris Judicial Court on Tuesday.
Reports from Le Parisien reveal that Desailly has denied paternity of Victoria since 2021, despite being ordered to take a DNA test in March of this year. The test confirmed that Desailly is indeed the biological father. If the court enforces the ruling, Desailly could be required to pay €5,000 (approximately £4,148) monthly in alimony to Batista de Alcantara.
Desailly, however, claims he is unable to meet the financial demands due to his deteriorated financial situation. Once earning €8,600 (£7,100) monthly as a pundit for beIN Sports, he lost the contract in August and is currently repaying €5,000 monthly to French tax authorities as part of a penalty for tax evasion between 2011 and 2019.
The football legend reportedly began selling off assets to meet obligations to his other children, including four from his marriage to Virginie Desailly and another child, Aida, whom he initially refused to acknowledge as his own.
Cosma Batista de Alcantara has cast doubt on Desailly's claims of financial hardship. “Since I’ve known him, he always claimed to have no money," she told Le Parisien. “But at the time, I believed him.” She alleged that Desailly made unfulfilled promises, including moving into an apartment he reportedly owned in Paris.
Le Parisien claims to have reviewed documents indicating Desailly has not received dividends from his businesses in France or Ghana since 2009. His lawyer, Francoise Majnoni d’Intignano, refuted suggestions that Desailly remains wealthy, stating, “He is not a wealthy footballer or businessman as Ms. Batista de Alcantara claims.”
Batista de Alcantara, who resides in Spain, shared her concerns over the emotional toll on Victoria. “She doesn’t understand why he doesn’t call her anymore,” she said, adding that her daughter suffers from the lack of acknowledgment. Desailly reportedly sent financial support for Victoria in the past, but Batista de Alcantara claimed it was insufficient to cover tuition costs at her French school in Spain.
Once celebrated for his stellar football career with clubs like Chelsea and AC Milan, Marcel Desailly now faces legal and financial struggles. The ongoing case raises questions about his responsibilities as a father and his financial transparency.
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