Marcel Sabatier (Dhaffer L’Abidine) 2002-2004

First Regular Appearance: 6.1 (#261) It Could Be You  Sunday 6th October 2002

Last Regular Appearance: 7.31 (#323) Thrown To The Wolves  Sunday 9th May 2004

Duration: EP: 261 - 323  |  SE: 6.1 – 7.31

Squad Number/Position: #7 (Midfielder) (2002-2004)

Last Seen: Being injected to death by a hitman on behalf of Sheik Al-Shaziz, in mistake of Stuart.

Marcel Sabatier was the midfield dream player of any manager in any league. In physically perfect condition with a respect for authority, and easily able to command leadership from his team mates, Marcel was born in Tunisia in 1975. He was intelligent and cultured enough to have forged any career successfully, but his impressive ability in centre and attacking midfield set him on his way to becoming a European class footballer. By the time he was sixteen Marcel had made a name for himself in his home country, with scouts from Europe's hottest clubs in a bid to sign him. Marcel carried a secret though, he had anger issues when not kept under control had dangerous consequences. Upon discovering his childhood best friend Ahmed with his girlfriend, Marcel flew at Ahmed, in his rage picking up a knife and fatally stabbing him. This could have spelt the end for Marcel, but was saved by football contact Pilar Hernandez who got him out of the country and to France.

Having already caught the interest of Paris Saint-Germain, Marcel signed his first professional contract and joined the French Division 1. Early 2002 brings about a turning point for Marcel. His manager Patrick Doyle, who he has always shared a solid relationship with, leaves PSG to go to Harchester United in the English Premiership, and Marcel feels adrift. His good friend and team mate Curtis Alexander, whose brother Linton played for Harchester and just died in the coach crash, is tempted to go too. Marcel accepts Patrick's offer and signs for Harchester, with he and Curtis unveiled in a double signing.

Owing to their highly respected relationship, Marcel is appointed the new captain and scores on his debut for the club's opening day game against Leeds. But something doesn't sit right as the season goes on. Harchester's losses are becoming more frequent, and when Fletch shares his belief that Patrick is involved in match fixing, Marcel finds this hard to believe. Marcel comes round to Fletch's way of thinking when a false story he has made up about Barcelona wanting to sign him is used by Patrick on television. Patrick's downfall at the club comes with the exposing of his affair with Jacqui Wallis, though it is too late by the time Marcel and the team learn of the extent of Doyle's control over Jamie Parker.

Marcel comes under scrutiny when a gossip website puts out a rumour that he is gay, owing to him being spotted making frequent visits to a man at the apartment block Ryan and Clyde live at. The man is in fact Jude, Marcel's therapist, who is working with him through his anger problems. When Ryan and Clyde hold a noisy party at the flat, Marcel loses control and seriously hurts Ryan, resulting in him needing surgery. Through fear and guilt, Marcel runs away to hide in a Spanish villa, where Tash finds him and persuades him to come home and face up to his actions. With Tash's help, she sets him up on a 'date' with her old pal from the modelling world, Jordan, which helps to quash the gay rumours. Marcel also develops a bond with Jennifer Taylor, though she is in love with his manager Alan Rothman.

The new season brings Marcel's past back to him, when Pilar is appointed Harchester's chief executive, bringing her new star signing the world-class Luke Davenport and selling Marcel's good friend Fletch in order to bring him in. Fletch asks Marcel to look after Abi while he is gone, and with her left with Fletch's son Louis Marcel brings much needed support, moving in so Abi can keep her home at The Barrons. The more time Marcel and Abi spend together however, the more dependant they become on each other, with Abi pining for Fletch and Marcel disillusioned with the way his career is heading at Harchester. On Christmas Day, after they discover more lies and secrecy from the club regarding Luke going blind, a stressed and lonely Marcel and Abi sleep together. Abi regrets the incident afterwards and when Marcel admits he is in love with her, she tells him it can't happen.

Marcel feels greatly uncomfortable when Fletch returns, for Fletch is hugely grateful for how he has looked after his wife(!). After sussing that Abi has cheated on Fletch, Pilar makes sure Fletch knows to scupper his deal with the Shiek, which results in the truth about Marcel coming out. When Fletch takes Louis back to Lynda, Abi goes back to Ireland. Marcel learns that the Sheik is still on the scene, and Pilar and Stuart plan to throw the next game so Harchester will be bankrupt and the Sheik will buy. Marcel decides to stop them and fights to win the game, until he is forcibly substituted by Stuart. To stop Marcel talking, the Sheik's assistant Karim offers Marcel a lucretive move to AS Roma, and Marcel travels to Ireland to ask Abi to come with him.

At Lee's birthday, Abi is surprised when Marcel introduces her to a woman he is seeing, Georgina, which makes Abi question her true feelings for Marcel more. Georgina can tell Marcel wants to be with Abi too, and tells him to go for it. Marcel and Abi finally decide to make a go of things on the same night the match fixing has been revealed and the full blame has fallen on Stuart. Pilar hopes the Sheik will offer Stuart a deal elsewhere in return for his silence as they did with Marcel, and tells Karim Stuart is staying at Abi's. Stuart goes out late that night, and Abi and Marcel sleep together, where an executioner finds Marcel believing him to be Stuart and delivers a lethal injection! When Abi awakes the next morning, Marcel is dead, and she and Pilar are devastated at the loss of the man they both loved. In the end, Pilar makes sure Marcel's parents, and the world knows he wasn't secretly addicted to steroids but was murdered, and in doing so, sees that she and Stuart have to go into protective custody until those responsible are caught.

In May 2020 Dhaffer appeared at the Dream Team cast reunion fundraiser Harchester Reunited