Youri Djorkaeff

French footballer (born 1968) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Youri Djorkaeff

Youri Raffi Djorkaeff (born 9 March 1968) is a French former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder or forward. Throughout his club career, he played for teams in France, Italy, Germany, England, and the United States.

Quick Facts Personal information, Full name ...
Youri Djorkaeff
Djorkaeff in 2011
Personal information
Full name Youri Raffi Djorkaeff[1]
Date of birth (1968-03-09) 9 March 1968 (age 56)[2]
Place of birth Lyon, France
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)[3]
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Forward
Youth career
UGA Décines
Saint-Priest
US Meyzieu
AS Villeurbanne
–1985 Grenoble
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1984–1989 Grenoble 82 (23)
1989–1990 Strasbourg 35 (25)
1990–1995 Monaco 155 (59)
1995–1996 Paris Saint-Germain 35 (13)
1996–1999 Inter Milan 87 (30)
1999–2002 Kaiserslautern 55 (14)
2002–2004 Bolton Wanderers 75 (20)
2004 Blackburn Rovers[4] 3 (0)
2005–2006 New York Red Bulls[5] 45 (12)
Total 584 (196)
International career
1993 France B 2 (3)
1993–2002 France 82 (28)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  France
FIFA World Cup
Winner1998 France
UEFA European Championship
Winner2000 Belgium–Netherlands
FIFA Confederations Cup
Winner2001 Korea/Japan
*Club domestic league appearances and goals
Close

At international level, Djorkaeff scored 28 goals in 82 appearances with the France national team between 1993 and 2002. He won the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Euro 2000, and the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup, also taking part at Euro 1996 and the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He is the son of former player Jean Djorkaeff. On hanging up his boots in 2006 and after having played in France, Italy, Germany, United Kingdom and the US, Youri devoted himself to social projects, which eventually led him to establish the Youri Djorkaeff Foundation in 2014. He currently holds the position of CEO of the FIFA Foundation, following his appointment in September 2019.

Early life

Djorkaeff was born in Lyon,[6] to a French father of Polish and Kalmyk origin, Jean Djorkaeff, and an Armenian mother, Mary Ohanian,[7] in Lyon.[8]

Club career

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Perspective

Djorkaeff started his career in 1984 with French club Grenoble, before moving to RC Strasbourg in 1989, AS Monaco in 1990, and then Paris Saint-Germain in 1995. In 1994, Djorkaeff led Division 1 in goals with 20. He won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup with PSG in 1996. In 190 French top-flight matches Djorkaeff scored 73 goals.[9]

In 1996, he signed with Italian club Inter Milan. In his first season, he scored 17 goals in 49 appearances across all competitions, scoring 14 goals in 33 Serie A appearances; with his excellent performances,[10][11] he helped the club to a third–place finish in Serie A, and also reached the UEFA Cup Final, in which Inter were defeated by Schalke on penalties following a 1–1 draw on aggregate, although Djorkaeff was able to net his spot kick.[12][13] During the course of the season, he also scored a memorable goal from a bicycle kick in a 3–1 home win against Roma in the league, on 5 January 1997, which is considered to be one of the greatest goals scored in the club's history.[14][15] His following season was less successful individually, as he struggled to play well alongside the club's new signing Ronaldo,[16][17][18] although collectively Inter finished the season in second place in Serie A and won the UEFA Cup, defeating Lazio 3–0 in the final at the Parc des Princes.[19] In his third and final season with the team, following the signing of Roberto Baggio, he also struggled to find space in the team, and suffered a further loss of form; moreover, the club eventually finished the season in eighth place, outside of all possible European qualifying spots.[20][21][22]

In 1999, he transferred to Germany and Kaiserslautern, helping them to the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup in 2001.

Djorkaeff turned many heads when signing with English club Bolton Wanderers in 2002, but added a lot of class to the team during his three seasons there, resulting in the creation of an international "dream-team" alongside the tricky Nigerian Jay-Jay Okocha, and former Real Madrid midfielder Iván Campo. He was a member of the squad that reached the final of the 2003–04 League Cup.[23] He then transferred to Blackburn Rovers but left the club after playing in only three games.

Djorkaeff then signed with the MetroStars of Major League Soccer in February 2005, turning down higher paid offers from other countries. He became the first French player to play in MLS and ended the season as the team's MVP with ten goals and seven assists in league play.

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Djorkaeff playing for New York Red Bulls in 2006

Djorkaeff announced from the beginning that he would hang-up his boots at the end of 2006 season, and played for the re-branded New York Red Bulls.[24] On 1 July 2006, he was spotted in the crowd with French fans at the FIFA World Cup quarter-final match between France and Brazil after telling Red Bulls officials he left the club to attend to "an unexpected, serious family matter in France." Upon his return, he revealed that the purpose of his departure was to be with his sick mother and downplayed watching the World Cup match.[25]

He retired from professional football on 29 October 2006.

International career

Djorkaeff accumulated 82 caps and scored 28 goals for France at senior level between 1993 and 2002. Other than the two major tournaments he won with the national side – the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000 – Djorkaeff also played for his country in UEFA Euro 1996 and the 2002 FIFA World Cup. In the 1998 FIFA World Cup Final in Paris, he set-up Zinedine Zidane's second goal from a corner in an eventual 3–0 victory over defending champions Brazil.[26]

Style of play

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Perspective

Nicknamed The Snake, due to his ability to get past defenders and bend the ball,[27][28][29] Djorkaeff was a talented playmaker, who usually played as an attacking midfielder, although he was also capable of playing in deeper positions in midfield on occasion – namely as a central midfielder – or in more attacking roles, as a creative second striker, or even as an outright striker, while he often featured in a wide role on the left flank at international level.[10][16][21][27][29][30][31][32][33][34][excessive citations] An elegant and technically gifted player, he was mainly known for his flair, dribbling skills, and excellent touch on the ball; he was also known for his vision, passing, composure, and class, and possessed a good shot, which enabled him both to score and create goals.[27][35][36][37][38][39] He was known for his positional sense and intelligent movement off the ball, as well as his ability to lose his markers with his attacking runs and create space for himself, or provide depth to the team;[29][40] he was also highly regarded for his accuracy from free kicks and penalties with his right foot.[29][35][41][42] A hard-working player, who was known for his defensive contribution off the ball,[10][35] he had the ability to link the defence with the attack or drift out wide in a free role in midfield;[27][29][43] as such, his playing style and role has been described as that of a "nine and a half," half-way between that of a midfielder and that of a forward,[36] which from a tactical standpoint, however, occasionally made it difficult for managers to find the right position for him on the pitch that best suited his capabilities.[10][16][20] Moreover, despite his talent and success, he was also accused of being inconsistent at times in the media.[44]

Personal life

Djorkaeff and his wife, Sophie, and three children: Sacha, Oan and Angelica. Djorkaeff released a singing single called "Vivre dans Ta Lumière" ("Living in Your Light").[45] His father, Jean, and younger brother, Micha Djorkaeff, were also professional football players.[27]

On 15 November 2012, Djorkaeff hosted Phone-a-thon for Armenian charity held in Europe. The Phoneathon benefits the construction of community centres in villages throughout Nagorno Karabakh and comprehensive agricultural development in Armenia's Tavush Region. In addition, a part of the proceeds will be dedicated to providing urgent aid to the Syrian-Armenian community.[46]

During his time in England, Djorkaeff opened a football school in Armenia.[28] In April 2007, once he had retired as a player, he became the president of his childhood club in Lyon - Union Generale Armenienne de Decines.[47] Djorkaeff currently also runs the Youri Djorkaeff Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to providing football programs in New York City.[48]

Ecuadorian international forward Djorkaeff Reasco was named after him, as did Dutchman Tahith Chong.[49]

Career statistics

Club

More information Club, Season ...
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[citation needed][50][51]
Club Season League National cup League cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Grenoble 1984–85 Division 2 300030
1985–86 Division 2 600060
1986–87 Division 2 26400264
1987–88 Division 2 19810208
1988–89 Division 2 2511312812
1989–90 Division 2 300030
Total 82234100008624
Strasbourg 1989–90 Division 2 2821203021
1990–91 Division 2 740074
Total 35252000003725
Monaco 1990–91 Division 1 20561266
1991–92 Division 1 35950714710
1992–93 Division 1 321122413814
1993–94 Division 1 3520201134823
1994–95 Division 1 331410303714
Total 155591633022519667
Paris Saint-Germain 1995–96 Division 1 35132210844619
Inter Milan 1996–97 Serie A 3314611024917
1997–98 Serie A 2984090428
1998–99 Serie A 25864523614
Total 87301650024412739
1. FC Kaiserslautern 1999–2000 Bundesliga 25111000523113
2000–01 Bundesliga 263200072355
2001–02 Bundesliga 400040
Total 551430001247018
Bolton Wanderers 2001–02 Premier League 124201000154
2002–03 Premier League 367101000387
2003–04 Premier League 2792051003410
Total 75205071--8721
Blackburn Rovers 2004–05 Premier League 3000000030[52]
MetroStars /
New York Red Bulls
2005 Major League
Soccer
2410212611
2006 Major League
Soccer
21210222
Total 45123100004813
Career total 5721964712916617694226
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International

More information National team, Year ...
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
France[53] 199310
199453
199575
1996125
199763
1998183
199993
2000114
200172
200260
Total8228
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Scores and results list France's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Djorkaeff goal.
More information No., Date ...
List of international goals scored by Youri Djorkaeff
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
116 February 1994San Paolo Stadium, Naples, Italy Italy1–01–0Friendly
222 March 1994Stade de Gerland, Lyon, France Chile2–13–1Friendly
329 May 1994National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan Japan1–04–11994 Kirin Cup
416 August 1995Parc des Princes, Paris, France Poland1–11–1UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying
56 September 1995Stade de l'Abbé-Deschamps, Auxerre, France Azerbaijan2–010–0UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying
69–0
711 October 1995Stadionul Steaua, Bucharest, Romania Romania2–03–1UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying
815 November 1995Stade Michel d'Ornano, Caen, France Israel2–02–0UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying
924 January 1996Parc des Princes, Paris, France Portugal1–13–2Friendly
102–2
1115 June 1996Elland Road, Leeds, England Spain1–01–1UEFA Euro 1996
1231 August 1996Parc des Princes, Paris, France Mexico2–02–0Friendly
139 October 1996Parc des Princes, Paris, France Turkey3–04–0Friendly
142 April 1997Parc des Princes, Paris, France Sweden1–01–0Friendly
1511 June 1997Parc des Princes, Paris, France Italy2–12–21997 Tournoi de France
1612 November 1997Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Etienne, France Scotland2–12–1Friendly
1729 May 1998Stade Mohamed V, Casablanca, Morocco Morocco2–22–21998 King Hassan II International Cup Tournament
1824 June 1998Stade de Gerland, Lyon, France Denmark1–02–11998 FIFA World Cup
1914 November 1998Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France Andorra2–02–0UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
2020 January 1999Stade Velodrome, Marseille, France Morocco1–01–0Friendly
218 September 1999Hrazdan Stadium, Yerevan, Armenia Armenia1–13–2UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
229 October 1999Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France Iceland2–13–2UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
234 June 2000Stade Mohamed V, Casablanca, Morocco Japan2–22–22000 King Hassan II International Cup Tournament
246 June 2000Stade Mohamed V, Casablanca, Morocco Morocco2–05–12000 King Hassan II International Cup Tournament
2516 June 2000Jan Breydel Stadium, Bruges, Belgium Czech Republic2–12–1UEFA Euro 2000
2625 June 2000Jan Breydel Stadium, Bruges, Belgium Spain2–12–1UEFA Euro 2000
2725 April 2001Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France Portugal4–04–0Friendly
2830 May 2001Daegu World Cup Stadium, Daegu, South Korea South Korea4–05–02001 FIFA Confederations Cup
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Honours

Monaco[54]

Paris Saint-Germain[54]

Inter Milan[54]

Bolton Wanderers

France[54]

Individual

Orders

See also

References

Bibliography

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