MILAN - His name is Youri Djorkaeff. He was born in Lyon on 9 March 1968, a year of revolutions in Europe and the same day Inter was founded (albeit 60 years earlier). There's something magical about wishing Youri a happy birthday. He followed in his Armenian father's footsteps to become a footballer, and turns 46 years old today, three of which he spent at Inter. He also boasts one of the best goals ever scored for the Nerazzurri.
He scored an outrageous overhead kick from an unlikely angle against Roma, something which was commemorated in the following campaign's season tickets. This was a period when the club wasn't winning trophies, and for obvious reasons, he became an icon. That goal was all about feel and instinct. Afterwards he couldn't even remember how he'd managed it, he certainly didn't plan it. He was class. He said that he and Massimo Moratti never discussed his wages, but that the day he signed they just talked football. It was a moment of mutual fascination.
He now lives in New York and works with Inter Campus. When the UN recognised Inter Campus for its outstanding work, Youri was there. He was emotional, a part of it. He still is. His kids, who we met when they were still knee high to a grasshopper, are now all grown up. He's not changed one bit. He's a man, a legend, who lit up the Inter star in one of its gloomiest periods, who lifted the UEFA Cup in his country's capital, Paris. And he still believes. Have a great birthday, Youri, from your beloved Inter.
