Career
He was an integral part of the French national teams of the 1950s. The south Frenchman was signed in 1949 by the Football Club Sochaux and in their youth team but fast played to the first. Jean Jacques Marcel was a physically strong right runner with qualities both in the defensive and in the play forward, had a hard shot and a good head ball play – 76 goals in over 420 league plays were unusual in that time for a midfielder.
In 1954 he moved to its homeland region with Olympique Marseille and remained there for five years, playing alongside 17 years older Larbi Ben Barek.
He played then one year in Toulon before ending his professional career in 1965 with RCF Paris. International player
Between May 1953 and October 1961 Jean-Jacques Marcel appeared in 44 international matches for the France national football team (10 in its time with Sochaux, 24 with Marseille, 3 with Toulon and 7 with Paris).
He scored three goals and was in four meetings also captain. The third place with France in Sweden was at the same time the largest success of its career.
He also played at the first European championship (1960 in France).
Until 1959 it formed a talentuous middle row together with Armand Penverne, in which Marcel – differently than in its clubs – played usually on the left side. In 1965 Marcel returned to its birth city and played still some years as an amateur with the club, from which he had come out. Marcel lived withdrawn, but still in the small town between Fréjus and Aix-en-Provence.
On 3 October 2014, it was announced by his former football club that Marcel died.
He was 83.