"Every player in the France 98 team had power, focus and finesse" - Youri Djorkaeff recalls the four games that changed his life

Youri Djorkaeff was a key member of the fabled France side that won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000. A keen traveler, the attacking midfielder represented clubs in his native France, Germany, Italy, England and the United States.

Djorkaeff is perhaps best-known in Britain for his three-season stint with Bolton Wanderers between 2001 and 2004, where he played 87 matches and score 21 goals.

Here, he tells FourFourTwo about the matches that changed his life...

This article first appeared Issue 314 of FourFourTwo. Subscribe now!

PSG 1-0 Rapid Vienna (May 8, 1996 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup Final)

“When I joined Paris Saint-Germain from Monaco in 1995, the club had reached the semi-finals of three European competitions in the previous three seasons, but lost them all. So it was a big moment to beat Deportivo La Coruna in the Cup Winners’ Cup semi-finals in my first season, and make it to the final. We then beat Rapid Vienna in Brussels, which was huge. It was PSG’s long-time objective to lift European silverware, and we did it. It’s been 24 years since that success, and they haven’t won another major European trophy.”

Lazio 0-3 Inter Milan (May 6, 1998 UEFA Cup Final)

“On a personal level, it was very special – as both a former PSG player and a Frenchman – to appear in a UEFA Cup final at the Parc des Princes. We got off to a brilliant start, with Ivan Zamorano scoring after five minutes, and didn’t look back after that. Javier Zanetti and Ronaldo scored in the second half, and we won 3-0. The final is remembered for Ronaldo’s performance – people realised why he was being talked about as one of the best players in the world during that period. He was the best in the world, for me.”

Brazil 0-3 France (July 12, 1998 World Cup Final)

“It’s rare to have a game where everyone on your team is at their top level, let alone in a World Cup final! But that’s exactly what happened for us on that magical evening at the Stade de France. The power, focus and finesse of each and every player was amazing. We were two goals up at half-time through two Zizou [Zinedine Zidane] headers from corners, and then Emmanuel Petit added the icing on the cake at the end. The most satisfying thing about winning that World Cup, and Euro 2000, was achieving alongside such a talented group of guys. We also had the application to go with it.”

England 0-2 France (February 10, 1999 Friendly)

“France have had a relatively poor record against England down the years, and when we travelled to Wembley in 1999, we’d never won on English soil. As the world champions, though, there was great belief in our side. We’d also done well on our last visit to the country, reaching the semis of Euro 96. That night in ’99, Nicolas Anelka scored two goals and announced himself on the international stage. The whole team performance was one of the best I was ever part of; every pass came off, and every run was perfect. Of course, winning at Wembley – the home of football – made the display and result even more special for us.”