Youri Djorkaeff

Youri Djorkaeff

Djorkaeff in 2011
Personal information
Full nameYouri Raffi Djorkaeff
Date of birth9 March 1968
Place of birthLyon, France
Height1.79 m (5 ft 10 1⁄2 in) [1]
Playing positionForward
Attacking midfielder
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1984–1989Grenoble82(23)
1989–1990Strasbourg35(25)
1990–1995Monaco155(59)
1995–1996Paris Saint-Germain35(13)
1996–1999Internazionale87(30)
1999–20021. FC Kaiserslautern55(14)
2002–2004Bolton Wanderers75(20)
2004Blackburn Rovers3(0)
2005–2006New York Red Bulls[2]45(12)
Total581(196)
National team
1993France B2(3)
1993–2002France82(28)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Youri Raffi Djorkaeff (born 9 March 1968) is a former French international footballer who played as a forward or as an attacking midfielder. With the French national team, Djorkaeff won the 1998 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2000. He is the son of former player Jean Djorkaeff.

Biography

Djorkaeff was born to Kalmyk-Polish father Jean Djorkaeff and an Armenian mother in Lyon.[3]

He 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.

In 1996, he signed with Italian giants Internazionale and in 1999, he transferred to Germany and Kaiserslautern. 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 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 for $180,000 plus incentives, 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.

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.[4] 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.[5]

He retired from football on 29 October 2006, after being sidelined in the second leg of the MLS Eastern Conference semi-finals because of an ankle injury.[6]

Cups and medals

Djorkaeff won the Cup Winners' Cup with Paris Saint-Germain in 1996 and the UEFA Cup with Internazionale in 1998. He accumulated 82 caps and scored 28 goals for France. Other than the two major tournament (the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Euro 2000), Djorkaeff also played for his country in UEFA Euro 1996 and the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Personal

Djorkaeff released a singing single called "Vivre dans Ta Lumière", translated to "Living in Your Light" from French.[7] His brother, Micha Djorkaeff, was also a professional football player.

On 15 November 2012 Djorkaeff hosted Phone-a-thon for Armenian charity held in Europe. The Phoneathon benefits the construction of community centers in villages throughout Artsakh 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.[8]

Honours

Club

Monaco
Paris Saint-Germain
Internazionale
Bolton Wanderers
France

Individual

Career statistics

Club

[12][13][14]

Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
France League Coupe de
France		 Coupe de la
Ligue		 Europe Total
1984–85GrenobleDivision 2 30------30
1985–86 60------60
1986–87 264------264
1987–88 19810----208
1988–89 251131----2812
1989–90 30------30
1989–90Strasbourg 282162----3423
1990–91 74------74
1990–91MonacoDivision 1 20561----266
1991–92 35950--714710
1992–93 321122--413814
1993–94 352020--1134823
1994–95 33141030--3714
1995–96Paris Saint-Germain 35132210844619
Italy League Coppa Italia League Cup Europe Total
1996–97InternazionaleSerie A 331461--1024917
1997–98 29840--90428
1998–99 25864--523614
Germany League DFB-Pokal Other Europe Total
1999–2000KaiserslauternBundesliga 2511----302811
2000–01 26320--72355
2001–02 40------40
England League FA Cup League Cup Europe Total
2001–02Bolton WanderersPremier League 124------124
2002–03 36710----377
2003–04 279--51--3210
2004–05Blackburn Rovers 30------30
USA League Open Cup League Cup North America Total
2005New York Red BullsMajor League
Soccer		 241021----2611
2006 21210----222
Total France 30712028840309369137
Italy 8730165--24412739
Germany 551420--1026716
England 78201051--8421
USA 451231----4813
Career total 5721965014916415695226

International

[15]

France national team
YearAppsGoals
1993 10
1994 53
1995 75
1996 125
1997 63
1998 183
1999 93
2000 114
2001 72
2002 60
Total 8228

International goals

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
. 6 September 1995 Stade de l'Abbé-Deschamps, Auxerre, France  Azerbaijan 2–0 10–0 Euro 1996 qualifier
. 9–0

References

  1. ↑ "Biography for Youri Djorkaeff". imdb.com. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
  2. ↑ The club was known as the MetroStars prior to 2006.
  3. ↑ ФРАНЦИЯ – АРМЕНИЯ (in Russian). Спорт Экспресс. 31 March 1999.
  4. ↑ "uefa.com – Football Europe – News & Features – News Specific".
  5. ↑ "Djorkaeff returns to Bulls after a month away". bigapplesoccer.com. 7 August 2006. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
  6. ↑ "France great Djorkaeff quits game". BBC News. 30 October 2006. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
  7. ↑ Dart, James (22 August 2007). "Does Shay Given really carry holy water with him at every match?". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 10 April 2011.
  8. ↑ "Phone-a-thon for Armenian charity held in Europe ahead of 24-hour Thanksgiving Day Telethon". Armenia Now (Armenia). 16 November 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  9. ↑ Inter.it staff, inter(a t)inter.it (17 November 2006). "F.C. Internazionale Milano". Inter.it. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  10. ↑ "France honors World Cup winners – Government gives Legion of Honor to players, coaches". CNN/SI. 1 September 1998. Retrieved 20 July 2006.
  11. ↑ "Décret du 24 juillet 1998 portant nomination à titre exceptionnel". JORF (in French) 1998 (170her): 11376. 25 July 1998. PREX9801916D. Retrieved 10 March 2009.
  12. ↑ "Youri Djorkaeff". footballdatabase.eu. Retrieved 27 October 2012.
  13. ↑ "Youri DJORKAEFF". level-k.com. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
  14. ↑ "Youri Djorkaeff". world-soccer.org. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
  15. ↑ "Youri Djorkaeff – International Matches". RSSSF. Retrieved 10 April 2011.

External links

Preceded by
Javier Zanetti		 Internazionale Player Of The Year
1997 		Succeeded by
Ronaldo