Youri Djorkaeff before the Champions League final: "This is the match of my heart"

Legendary French footballer of Armenian descent Youri Djorkaeff shared his emotions ahead of the 2024/25 Champions League final, which will take place on May 31 in Munich between Italy’s Inter Milan and France’s Paris Saint-Germain.

“Yes, it’s true. Both PSG and Inter have come an incredible way and deserve to be in the final. This is the ‘match of my heart’ — not only because of what I did on the pitch, but even more because of what I did off it: both of my sons were born in Milan,” Djorkaeff noted (Corriere della Sera)

He also expressed his support for Inter midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who could become the first Armenian player to win the Champions League:

“I’m very happy for Mkhitaryan and his family — they are people with true values. Henrikh carries the Armenian flag around the world.”

Djorkaeff has a unique connection with both finalist clubs. In 1996, he won the Cup Winners’ Cup with PSG — the last European trophy in the club’s history. Just two years later, in 1998, he won the UEFA Cup with Inter.