Juve's Deschamps Jumps to Chelsea With 3-Year Deal
Copyright � 1999 Nando Media
Copyright � 1999 Agence France-Presse
LONDON (June 21, 1999 8:28 p.m. EDT http://www.sportserver.com) - French World Cup-winning captain Didier Deschamps signed with Chelsea from Juventus Monday, receiving a three-year deal worth three million pounds ($4.77 million).
The midfielder completed negotiations with the premier league club's chief executive Colin Hutchinson who is on vacation in Cyprus.
Deschamps is a former teammate of Chelsea coach Gianluca Vialli. The pair helped Juventus lift the European Cup in 1996.
He won the French championship twice and the European Cup at Marseille before joining Juventus in 1994. He helped Juve complete the Italian league and cup double the following year.
Deschamps also played a major role in helping Juve win the Italian title in 1997 and 1998 and took them to the Champions League final last year where they were beaten by Real Madrid.
Hutchinson said: "I put a hell of a lot of work in two years ago with this and tried unsuccessfully to sign him.
"This time he decided to move from Juventus having won everything in the book in Italy, Europe and internationally with France.
"He has still got a great appetite for the game, he's a winner and wanted to come to England and try a new culture and win things with Chelsea.
"There were a lot of rumors that Didier wanted to return to France and it's still in his mind to return there later in his career."
Hutchinson said Vialli was still trying to strengthen his squad after Chelsea qualified for the Champions League by finishing third last season.
Deschamps's best friend, fellow French World Cup winner Marcel Desailly, joined Chelsea last season and recently pledged his future to the London club.
