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Youri Djorkaeff (born March 9, 1968 in Lyon) is a former French football (soccer) player, who played as a forward or as an attacking midfielder. He had fantastic technique, pace and fancy and effective dribbling. With the French national team, Djorkaeff won the 1998 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2000.

Djorkaeff's father, Jean, played for France in the 1966 FIFA World Cup and also coached the Armenian national team.

Djorkaeff, an ethnic Kalmyk (through his father) and Armenian (through his mother), played across Europe. He started his career in 1984 with French club Grenoble, before moving to Strasbourg in 1989, Monaco in 1990, and then PSG in 1995. In 1994, Djorkaeff led Ligue 1 in goals with 20.

In 1996, he signed with Italian giants Inter Milan, and in 1999 went over to Germany and Kaiserslautern. Djorkaeff turned many heads when signing with then-unfashionable English club Bolton Wanderers in 2002, but added a lot of class to the team during his two seasons there. He transferred to Blackburn Rovers for the 2004-05 season, but left the club after playing in only 3 games. Djorkaeff then signed with the MetroStars of U.S. Major League Soccer in February 2005 for us$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 Red Bull New York ^[1]. On 1 July 2006, he was spotted in the crowd with French fans at the FIFA World Cup quarterfinal 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 ^[2].

He retired on 29 October 2006, after being sidelined in the second leg of the MLS Eastern Conference semi-finals because of an ankle injury^[3].

Djorkaeff won the Cup Winners' Cup with PSG in 1996 and the UEFA Cup with Inter in 1998. He accumulated 82 caps and scored 28 goals for France. Other than the two major tournament wins already mentioned, Djorkaeff also played for his country in Euro 96, the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Euro 2000 and the 2002 FIFA World Cup. For his country he won the World Cup, European Championship & Confederation Cup.

v • d • e France squad - 1998 FIFA World Cup Champions (1st Title)
1 Lama • 2 Candela • 3 Lizarazu • 4 Vieira • 5 Blanc • 6 Djorkaeff • 7 Deschamps • 8 Desailly • 9 Guivarc'h • 10 Zidane • 11 Pirès • 12 Henry • 13 Diomède • 14 Boghossian • 15 Thuram • 16 Barthez • 17 Petit • 18 Leboeuf • 19 Karembeu • 20 Trezeguet • 21 Dugarry • 22 Charbonnier • Coach: Jacquet

v • d • e France squad - 2002 FIFA World Cup
1 Ramé • 2 Candela • 3 Lizarazu • 4 Vieira • 5 Christanval • 6 Djorkaeff • 7 Makélélé • 8 Desailly • 9 Cissé • 10 Zidane • 11 Wiltord • 12 Henry • 13 Silvestre • 14 Boghossian • 15 Thuram • 16 Barthez • 17 Petit • 18 Leboeuf • 19 Sagnol • 20 Trezeguet • 21 Dugarry • 22 Micoud • 23 Coupet • Coach: Lemerre