“September 5, 1970, 55 years ago: first cape in Blue for a PSG player”. On the occasion of Jean Djorkaeff's 85th birthday, the site Paris.canal-histoire looks back at the Rouge et Bleu’s very first French international. This is therefore the father of the 2018 world champion Youri Djorkaeff! From Isère of Russian and Polish origin, he is a legendary French football player. He was the captain of OL and OM in the 1960s as well as the French team (48 caps from 1964 to 1972).
Essential right side of the Blues, since he is captain of the selection, Jean Djorkaeff made the surprising choice to sign for Paris Saint-Germain, which has just been founded and which is starting in D2. To be more precise, PSG is the merger of Paris FC, an entity without a team created at the initiative of the FFF, and Stade Saint-Germanois, a club founded in 1904. PSG is, in reality, a continuation of Stade Saint-Germanois because PSG created in 1970 was renamed Paris FC in 1973.
“Tchouki” Djorkaeff thus becomes the first professional player in the history of PSG, the first captain in history and therefore its first French international! He started and captained the team at the start of September in a 3-0 victory against Czechoslovakia in Nice, in a team featuring Georges Bereta, Georges Carnus, Henri Michel and Michel Mézy.
Jean Djorkaeff's postcard
The story becomes significant three months later. The French team is going on tour to South America during a break in the first division, except that D2 continues to be played! PSG let Jean Djorkaeff honor the FFF's summons and, in Lima, after a match for the Blues against the Peruvian club Universitario (0-0), the defender burst into tears upon learning of the Parisians' victory against Caen (2-1), on January 24, 1971.
“A beautiful story, a great gentleman like we would like to see more often in current football, like this incredible postcard signed by the entire French team on tour in South America and sent by mail… to PSG”adds this site which looks back on the great history of the winner of the 1996 Cup Winners' Cup and the 2025 Champions League.
