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Youri Djorkaeff facts for kids

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Youri Djorkaeff
Youri Djorkaeff 2011.jpg
Djorkaeff in 2011
Personal information
Full name Youri Raffi Djorkaeff
Date of birth (1968-03-09) 9 March 1968 (age 57)
Place of birth Lyon, France
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Forward
Youth career
UGA Décines
Saint-Priest
US Meyzieu
AS Villeurbanne
0000–1985 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 3 (0)
2005–2006 New York Red Bulls 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
Winner 1998 France
UEFA European Championship
Winner 2000 Belgium–Netherlands
FIFA Confederations Cup
Winner 2001 Korea/Japan
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

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

Youri Djorkaeff was also a key player for the French national team. He scored 28 goals in 82 games between 1993 and 2002. He helped France win the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Euro 2000, and the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup. Youri is the son of another famous footballer, Jean Djorkaeff. After retiring in 2006, Youri started working on social projects. In 2014, he created the Youri Djorkaeff Foundation. Since September 2019, he has been the CEO of the FIFA Foundation.

Early Life and Family Background

Youri Djorkaeff was born in Lyon, France. His father, Jean Djorkaeff, was French with Polish and Kalmyk roots. His mother, Mary Ohanian, was Armenian. Youri comes from a family with a strong football background. His father and younger brother, Micha Djorkaeff, were also professional football players.

Playing for Clubs: A Global Journey

Youri Djorkaeff started his football journey in 1984. He played for the French club Grenoble. He then moved to RC Strasbourg in 1989. In 1990, he joined AS Monaco. He later played for Paris Saint-Germain in 1995. In 1994, he was the top scorer in France's top league, scoring 20 goals. He also won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup with PSG in 1996. He scored 73 goals in 190 matches in the French top league.

Time in Italy with Inter Milan

In 1996, Djorkaeff moved to Italy to play for Inter Milan. In his first season, he scored 17 goals in 49 games. He scored 14 goals in 33 league matches. His great performance helped Inter finish third in the league. They also reached the 1997 UEFA Cup Final, but lost on penalties. During this season, he scored an amazing bicycle kick goal against Roma. This goal is still remembered as one of Inter's best ever.

His second season was not as good for him personally. He found it hard to play well alongside the new star player, Ronaldo. However, Inter finished second in the league and won the UEFA Cup. They beat Lazio 3-0 in the final. In his third and last season with Inter, he struggled to find his place in the team.

Playing in Germany and England

In 1999, Djorkaeff moved to Germany. He joined Kaiserslautern. He helped them reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup in 2001.

In 2002, he surprised many by signing with the English club Bolton Wanderers. He brought a lot of skill to the team. He played alongside other international stars like Jay-Jay Okocha and Iván Campo. He was part of the team that reached the final of the League Cup in 2004. After Bolton, he briefly played for Blackburn Rovers.

Adventures in the United States

In February 2005, Djorkaeff joined the MetroStars in Major League Soccer (MLS). He turned down bigger offers from other countries. He was the first French player to play in MLS. He became the team's most valuable player that season. He scored ten goals and made seven assists.

Youri Djorkaeff takes a corner (cropped)
Djorkaeff playing for New York Red Bulls in 2006

Djorkaeff had announced he would retire at the end of the 2006 season. He played for the team when it was renamed the New York Red Bulls. He officially retired from professional football on October 29, 2006.

International Career: Winning for France

Youri Djorkaeff played 82 games for the French national team. He scored 28 goals between 1993 and 2002. He won two major tournaments with France. These were the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000. He also played in UEFA Euro 1996 and the 2002 FIFA World Cup. In the 1998 World Cup Final in Paris, he set up Zinedine Zidane's second goal. France won the match 3-0 against Brazil.

Playing Style: The Snake

Djorkaeff was known as The Snake. This nickname came from his ability to get past defenders. He could also bend the ball when he kicked it. He was a very talented playmaker. He usually played as an attacking midfielder. He could also play deeper in midfield or as a second striker. Sometimes, he even played as a striker.

He was known for his amazing dribbling skills and excellent touch. He also had great vision and passing ability. Djorkaeff was good at finding space on the field. He was also very accurate with free kicks and penalties. He was a hard-working player who helped both in attack and defense.

Life After Football

Youri Djorkaeff is married to Sophie. They have three children: Sacha, Oan, and Angelica. Youri even released a song called "Vivre dans Ta Lumière" ("Living in Your Light").

After retiring, Djorkaeff became involved in charity work. In 2012, he hosted a phone-a-thon for an Armenian charity. This event helped build community centers and support farming in Armenia. He also opened a football school in Armenia during his time in England. In April 2007, he became the president of his childhood club in Lyon. Today, he runs the Youri Djorkaeff Foundation. This group provides football programs for kids in New York City.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
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 3 0 0 0 – – 3 0
1985–86 Division 2 6 0 0 0 – – 6 0
1986–87 Division 2 26 4 0 0 – – 26 4
1987–88 Division 2 19 8 1 0 – – 20 8
1988–89 Division 2 25 11 3 1 – – 28 12
1989–90 Division 2 3 0 0 0 – – 3 0
Total 82 23 4 1 0 0 0 0 86 24
Strasbourg 1989–90 Division 2 28 21 2 0 – – 30 21
1990–91 Division 2 7 4 0 0 – – 7 4
Total 35 25 2 0 0 0 0 0 37 25
Monaco 1990–91 Division 1 20 5 6 1 – – 26 6
1991–92 Division 1 35 9 5 0 – 7 1 47 10
1992–93 Division 1 32 11 2 2 – 4 1 38 14
1993–94 Division 1 35 20 2 0 – 11 3 48 23
1994–95 Division 1 33 14 1 0 3 0 – 37 14
Total 155 59 16 3 3 0 22 5 196 67
Paris Saint-Germain 1995–96 Division 1 35 13!!2!!2!!1!!0!!8!!4!!46!!19
Inter Milan 1996–97 Serie A 33 14!!6!!1 – 10!!2!!49!!17
1997–98 Serie A 29 8 4 0 – 9 0 42 8
1998–99 Serie A 25 8 6 4 – 5 2 36!!14
Total 87 30 16 5 0 0 24 4 127 39
1. FC Kaiserslautern 1999–2000 Bundesliga 25 11!!1!!0 0!!0 5!!2!!31!!13
2000–01 Bundesliga 26 3 2 0 0!!0 7!!2!!35!!5
2001–02 Bundesliga 4 0 0 0 – – 4 0
Total 55 14 3 0 0 0 12 4 70 18
Bolton Wanderers 2001–02 Premier League 12 4 2 0 1 0 0 0 15 4
2002–03 Premier League 36 7 1 0 1 0 0 0 38 7
2003–04 Premier League 27 9 2 0 5 1 0 0 34 10
Total 75 20 5 0 7 1 - - 87 21
Blackburn Rovers 2004–05 Premier League 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
MetroStars /
New York Red Bulls		 2005 Major League
Soccer		 24 10!!2!!1 – – 26!!11
2006 Major League
Soccer		 21 2 1 0 – – 22 2
Total 45 12 3 1 0 0 0 0 48 13
Career total 572 196 47 12 9 1 66 17 694 226

International Goals for France

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
France 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
Scores and results list France's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Djorkaeff goal.
List of international goals scored by Youri Djorkaeff
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 16 February 1994 San Paolo Stadium, Naples, Italy  Italy 1–0 1–0 Friendly
2 22 March 1994 Stade de Gerland, Lyon, France  Chile 2–1 3–1 Friendly
3 29 May 1994 National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan  Japan 1–0 4–1 1994 Kirin Cup
4 16 August 1995 Parc des Princes, Paris, France  Poland 1–1 1–1 UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying
5 6 September 1995 Stade de l'Abbé-Deschamps, Auxerre, France  Azerbaijan 2–0 10–0 UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying
6 9–0
7 11 October 1995 Stadionul Steaua, Bucharest, Romania  Romania 2–0 3–1 UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying
8 15 November 1995 Stade Michel d'Ornano, Caen, France  Israel 2–0 2–0 UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying
9 24 January 1996 Parc des Princes, Paris, France  Portugal 1–1 3–2 Friendly
10 2–2
11 15 June 1996 Elland Road, Leeds, England  Spain 1–0 1–1 UEFA Euro 1996
12 31 August 1996 Parc des Princes, Paris, France  Mexico 2–0 2–0 Friendly
13 9 October 1996 Parc des Princes, Paris, France  Turkey 3–0 4–0 Friendly
14 2 April 1997 Parc des Princes, Paris, France  Sweden 1–0 1–0 Friendly
15 11 June 1997 Parc des Princes, Paris, France  Italy 2–1 2–2 1997 Tournoi de France
16 12 November 1997 Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Etienne, France  Scotland 2–1 2–1 Friendly
17 29 May 1998 Stade Mohamed V, Casablanca, Morocco  Morocco 2–2 2–2 1998 King Hassan II International Cup Tournament
18 24 June 1998 Stade de Gerland, Lyon, France  Denmark 1–0 2–1 1998 FIFA World Cup
19 14 November 1998 Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France  Andorra 2–0 2–0 UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
20 20 January 1999 Stade Velodrome, Marseille, France  Morocco 1–0 1–0 Friendly
21 8 September 1999 Hrazdan Stadium, Yerevan, Armenia  Armenia 1–1 3–2 UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
22 9 October 1999 Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France  Iceland 2–1 3–2 UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
23 4 June 2000 Stade Mohamed V, Casablanca, Morocco  Japan 2–2 2–2 2000 King Hassan II International Cup Tournament
24 6 June 2000 Stade Mohamed V, Casablanca, Morocco  Morocco 2–0 5–1 2000 King Hassan II International Cup Tournament
25 16 June 2000 Jan Breydel Stadium, Bruges, Belgium  Czech Republic 2–1 2–1 UEFA Euro 2000
26 25 June 2000 Jan Breydel Stadium, Bruges, Belgium  Spain 2–1 2–1 UEFA Euro 2000
27 25 April 2001 Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France  Portugal 4–0 4–0 Friendly
28 30 May 2001 Daegu World Cup Stadium, Daegu, South Korea  South Korea 4–0 5–0 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup

Football Achievements and Awards

Youri Djorkaeff won many important titles during his career:

With Monaco

With Paris Saint-Germain

With Inter Milan

With Bolton Wanderers

With France National Team

Individual Awards

  • Division 1 top scorer: 1993–94
  • UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 1996
  • UEFA European Championship top assist provider: 1996
  • Pirata d'Oro (Inter Milan Player of the Year): 1997
  • FIFA XI: 1997

Special Recognition

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Youri Djorkaeff para niños

  • List of leading goalscorers for the France national football team
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