French midfielder Youri Djorkaeff has revisited the atmosphere around Israel’s famous 3-2 victory at Parc des Princes, a result that kept France from qualifying for the 1994 World Cup. In an interview published Saturday with FourFourTwo, he said the campaign was marked by a fractured dressing room and internal tension in the French squad.
Djorkaeff said his first appearances for France came in matches against Israel and Bulgaria. He recalled being stunned when coach Gérard Houllier called him up, saying France knew it needed only one point, yet the mood was already unsettled. “I understood that the atmosphere was strange, there was tension between the players,” he said.
He added that Bulgaria equalized while he was warming up, and that he expected to come on as a second substitute. According to Djorkaeff, supporters at Parc des Princes wanted David Ginola, even though Ginola was not warming up and was sent on before him. France still lost in stoppage time, a defeat Djorkaeff called “a nightmare” and “one of the greatest disappointments in French football history.”
Djorkaeff said the squad did not truly come together again until 1995. The Israeli national team was mentioned in connection with the match that became one of its most memorable victories.
