Youri Djorkaeff
Encyclopedia
Youri Raffi Djorkaeff 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
.
and Polish
(through his father) and Armenian
origins (his mother, Mary Ohanian is a pure Armenian
).
, 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 two 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
for the 2004–05 season, 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. 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.
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.
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
.
, was also a professional football player.
|-
|1984–85||rowspan="6"|Grenoble
||rowspan="6"|Division 2
||3||0||||||||||||||3||0
|-
|1985–86||6||0||||||||||||||6||0
|-
|1986–87||26||4||||||||||||||26||4
|-
|1987–88||19||8||||||||||||||19||8
|-
|1988–89||25||11||||||||||||||25||11
|-
|1989–90||3||0||||||||||||||3||0
|-
|1989–90||rowspan="2"|Strasbourg
||rowspan="2"|Division 2
||28||21||||||||||||||28||21
|-
|1990–91||7||4||||||||||||||7||4
|-
|1990–91||rowspan="5"|Monaco
||rowspan="5"|Division 1
||20||5||||||||||||||20||5
|-
|1991–92||35||9||||||||||7||2||42||11
|-
|1992–93||32||12||||||||||4||1||36||13
|-
|1993–94||35||20||||||||||11||3||46||23
|-
|1994–95||33||14||||||3||0||||||36||14
|-
|1995–96||Paris Saint-Germain||Division 1
||35||13||||||1||0||8||4||44||17
|-
|1996–97||rowspan="3"|Internazionale
||rowspan="3"|Serie A
||33||14||6||1||||||10||2||49||17
|-
|1997–98||29||8||4||0||||||9||0||42||8
|-
|1998–99||25||8||6||4||||||5||2||36||14
|-
|1999–00||rowspan="3"|Kaiserslautern
||rowspan="3"|Bundesliga
||25||11||||||||||5||1||30||12
|-
|2000–01||26||3||||||||||7||2||33||5
|-
|2001–02||4||0||||||||||||||4||0
|-
|2001–02||rowspan="3"|Bolton Wanderers
||rowspan="3"|Premier League||12||4||||||||||||||12||4
|-
|2002–03||36||7||||||||||||||36||7
|-
|2003–04||27||9||||||||||||||27||9
|-
|2004–05||Blackburn Rovers
||Premier League||3||0||||||||||||||3||0
|-
|2005||MetroStars
||Major League Soccer
||24||10||||||||||||||24||10
|-
|2006||New York Red Bulls||Major League Soccer
||21||2||||||||||||||21||2
307||121||||||||||||||||
87||30||16||5||||||24||4||127||39
55||14||||||||||||||||
78||20||||||||||||||||
45||12||||||||||||||||
572||197||||||||||||||||
|-
|1993||1||0
|-
|1994||5||3
|-
|1995||7||5
|-
|1996||12||5
|-
|1997||6||3
|-
|1998||18||3
|-
|1999||9||3
|-
|2000||11||4
|-
|2001||7||2
|-
|2002||6||0
|-
!Total||82||28
|}
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
or as an attacking midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
. With the French national team
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
, Djorkaeff won the 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
and Euro 2000
2000 UEFA European Football Championship
The 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, or Euro 2000, was the 11th UEFA European Football Championship, which is held every four years and organized by UEFA, association football's governing body in Europe....
. He is the son of former player Jean Djorkaeff
Jean Djorkaeff
Jean "Tchouki" Djorkaeff is a retired French football player. He was born in the French commune of Charvieu, located in the département of Isère and is ethnically Kalmyk and Polish. He made his debut as a professional footballer playing for Lyon in a match against Limoges on December 28, 1958...
.
Ancestry
Djorkaeff is mix of KalmykKalmyk people
Kalmyk people is the name given to the Oirats, western Mongols in Russia, whose descendants migrated from Dzhungaria in 1607. Today they form a majority in the autonomous Republic of Kalmykia on the western shore of the Caspian Sea. Kalmykia is Europe's only Buddhist government...
and Polish
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
(through his father) and Armenian
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
origins (his mother, Mary Ohanian is a pure Armenian
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
).
Biography
He started his career in 1984 with French club GrenobleGrenoble Foot 38
Grenoble Foot 38, commonly referred to as simply Grenoble, is a French association football club based in Grenoble, a city situated at the foot of the French Alps. The original incarnation of the club was founded in 1892 and, in 1997, was formed into the club that exists today as a result of a merger...
, before moving to RC Strasbourg
RC Strasbourg
Racing Club de Strasbourg is a French association football club founded in 1906 and professional since 1933, based in the city of Strasbourg, in Alsace...
in 1989, AS Monaco
AS Monaco FC
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club are a French football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. The club was founded in 1924 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. The team plays its home matches at the Stade Louis II located within Fontvieille...
in 1990, and then Paris Saint-Germain in 1995. In 1994, Djorkaeff led Division 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
in goals with 20.
In 1996, he signed with Italian giants Internazionale and in 1999, he transferred to Germany and Kaiserslautern
1. FC Kaiserslautern
1. Fußball-Club Kaiserslautern, also known as 1. FCK, FCK or simply Kaiserslautern, is a German association football club based in Kaiserslautern, Rhineland-Palatinate. On 2 June 1900, Germania 1896 and FG Kaiserslautern merged to create FC 1900...
. Djorkaeff turned many heads when signing with English club Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
in 2002, but added a lot of class to the team during his two seasons there, resulting in the creation of an international "dream-team" alongside the tricky Nigerian Jay-Jay Okocha
Jay-Jay Okocha
Augustine Azuka "Jay-Jay" Okocha is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He is known for his stepovers, skill, technique, and being 'so good that they named him twice'...
and former Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
midfielder Iván Campo
Iván Campo
Iván Campo Ramos is a retired Spanish footballer.Originally a central defender, Campo featured in a defensive midfield role in his later years...
. He then transferred to Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
for the 2004–05 season, but left the club after playing in only three games. Djorkaeff then signed with the MetroStars
Metrostars
Metrostar may refer to:*New York Red Bulls, formerly called the "MetroStars", a soccer team from New York*Manila Metro Rail Transit System, popularly called "The Metrostar Express", a part of the metropolitan rail system in Manila...
of Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
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. 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
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
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.
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.
Cups and medals
Djorkaeff won the Cup Winners' Cup with Paris Saint-Germain in 1996 and the UEFA CupUEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
with Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
in 1998. He accumulated 82 caps and scored 28 goals for France. Other than the two major tournament (the 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
and the UEFA Euro 2000), Djorkaeff also played for his country in UEFA Euro 1996 and the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
.
Personal
Djorkaeff released a singing single called "Vivre dans Ta Lumière", translated to "Living in Your Light" from French. His brother, Micha DjorkaeffMicha Djorkaeff
Micha Djorkaeff is a French retired footballer. He played as a midfielder. He was the brother of former Franch international Youri Djorkaeff. He played in French lower series for Grenoble, Rouen and Olympique Ales. In 1997 his brother recommended him to F.C. Internazionale that aggregated him at...
, was also a professional football player.
Bolton Wanderers
- 2004 League Cup2004 Football League Cup FinalThe 2004 Football League Cup Final was played between Bolton Wanderers and Middlesbrough at the Millennium Stadium on 29 February 2004. Middlesbrough won the game 2-1 to clinch their first major trophy...
(runners-up) 2004
|-
|1984–85||rowspan="6"|Grenoble
Grenoble Foot 38
Grenoble Foot 38, commonly referred to as simply Grenoble, is a French association football club based in Grenoble, a city situated at the foot of the French Alps. The original incarnation of the club was founded in 1892 and, in 1997, was formed into the club that exists today as a result of a merger...
||rowspan="6"|Division 2
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 , formerly known as Division 2, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel , the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division...
||3||0||||||||||||||3||0
|-
|1985–86||6||0||||||||||||||6||0
|-
|1986–87||26||4||||||||||||||26||4
|-
|1987–88||19||8||||||||||||||19||8
|-
|1988–89||25||11||||||||||||||25||11
|-
|1989–90||3||0||||||||||||||3||0
|-
|1989–90||rowspan="2"|Strasbourg
RC Strasbourg
Racing Club de Strasbourg is a French association football club founded in 1906 and professional since 1933, based in the city of Strasbourg, in Alsace...
||rowspan="2"|Division 2
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 , formerly known as Division 2, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel , the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division...
||28||21||||||||||||||28||21
|-
|1990–91||7||4||||||||||||||7||4
|-
|1990–91||rowspan="5"|Monaco
AS Monaco FC
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club are a French football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. The club was founded in 1924 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. The team plays its home matches at the Stade Louis II located within Fontvieille...
||rowspan="5"|Division 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
||20||5||||||||||||||20||5
|-
|1991–92||35||9||||||||||7||2||42||11
|-
|1992–93||32||12||||||||||4||1||36||13
|-
|1993–94||35||20||||||||||11||3||46||23
|-
|1994–95||33||14||||||3||0||||||36||14
|-
|1995–96||Paris Saint-Germain||Division 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
||35||13||||||1||0||8||4||44||17
|-
|1996–97||rowspan="3"|Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
||rowspan="3"|Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
||33||14||6||1||||||10||2||49||17
|-
|1997–98||29||8||4||0||||||9||0||42||8
|-
|1998–99||25||8||6||4||||||5||2||36||14
|-
|1999–00||rowspan="3"|Kaiserslautern
1. FC Kaiserslautern
1. Fußball-Club Kaiserslautern, also known as 1. FCK, FCK or simply Kaiserslautern, is a German association football club based in Kaiserslautern, Rhineland-Palatinate. On 2 June 1900, Germania 1896 and FG Kaiserslautern merged to create FC 1900...
||rowspan="3"|Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
||25||11||||||||||5||1||30||12
|-
|2000–01||26||3||||||||||7||2||33||5
|-
|2001–02||4||0||||||||||||||4||0
|-
|2001–02||rowspan="3"|Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
||rowspan="3"|Premier League||12||4||||||||||||||12||4
|-
|2002–03||36||7||||||||||||||36||7
|-
|2003–04||27||9||||||||||||||27||9
|-
|2004–05||Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
||Premier League||3||0||||||||||||||3||0
|-
|2005||MetroStars
Red Bull New York
The New York Red Bulls are an American professional soccer team based in Harrison, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The team competes in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
||Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
||24||10||||||||||||||24||10
|-
|2006||New York Red Bulls||Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
||21||2||||||||||||||21||2
307||121||||||||||||||||
87||30||16||5||||||24||4||127||39
55||14||||||||||||||||
78||20||||||||||||||||
45||12||||||||||||||||
572||197||||||||||||||||
|-
|1993||1||0
|-
|1994||5||3
|-
|1995||7||5
|-
|1996||12||5
|-
|1997||6||3
|-
|1998||18||3
|-
|1999||9||3
|-
|2000||11||4
|-
|2001||7||2
|-
|2002||6||0
|-
!Total||82||28
|}