Shocking Revelation of How Marseille Lied Ghana Legend Was HIV Positive to Dissuade Other Suitors

• French giants Olympique Marseille had to develop an ingenious plan to stop rich suitors from signing Ghana's Abedi Pele
• Abedi Pele was then the hottest prospect in France with several clubs interested including then mega-rich AS Monaco
• Abedi Pele finally joined Olympique Marseille in 1987 and played for six years, winning several titles including the UEFA Champions League

In 1987, Abedi Pele was faced with the biggest decision of his life as two of French football giants, Olympique Marseille and AS Monaco were in hot pursuit of the Ghanaian.

The former Ghana international was close to joining AS Monaco who offered a good deal for the 'maestro', but Marseille under the leadership of the late Bernard Tapie masterminded a plan that pulled off the greatest African transfer in Ligue 1.

Bernard Tapie had to conspire with a Monaco official to publicly brand the ex-Ghana captain as HIV positive in other to steal him away from their rivals, according to the Guardian Nigeria.

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Although Monaco presented a better offer, Abedi Pele was keen on joining Olympique Marseille, hence he was brought into the idea which he played along.

On the day of his medical at AS Monaco, Abedi Pele refused a blood test, which was then the norm when signing African players, to stall the process as Tapie and the unnamed Monaco official pull the strings on the other side in their grandiose plan.

Meanwhile, Abedi Pele's then club Mulhouse were ready to release the player to Monaco because of the money coming in, but the HIV positive reports meant, the deal had to delay.

At that time, Bernard Tapie and his team after seeing their plan go through, meant they can now sign the Ghanaian.

“You know what, I told the player (Pele) that when he arrives at Monaco for the medical examination, he will be asked to take a blood test, which is done for African players but that he should not agree, that he should tell them he cannot support the blood test,” Tapie told the Le Monde newspaper in the shocking revelation.

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“At the same time I conspired with an employee at AS Monaco who was a known figure within the club and instructed him to fabricate a falsehood that the player was HIV positive.

“You know we escaped beautifully and the plan worked well. He told me we (Monaco) didn’t take Pele because he is HIV positive.”

Abedi Pele spent six seasons at Marseille, winning several titles including the 1993 UEFA Champions League. He holds a legendary status in Marseille's folklore.