An emoji with stars in his eyes: this is how Youri Djorkaeff summed up his meeting with Djorkaeff Reasco, the Ecuadorian striker, just before the start of the Ecuador-Senegal match, this Tuesday, at the Khalifa International stadium in Doha. Substitute at kick-off, as in the first two games where he did not come into play, Reasco, 23, was named Djorkaeff by his father, himself a former professional player in his country in tribute to the champion of the French world.
Reached on the phone, just before his departure for Qatar, Youri Djorkaeff had explained to us that he knew the profile of the young Reasco but “on the other hand, I do not know why he bears my first name”, he had specified.
Once made aware of the project of the Ecuadorian father, Youri did not hide his emotion and his enthusiasm. “But this thing is huge! “, he had launched. At that time, he planned to use his presence in the stands for the Qatar-Ecuador opening match to meet “the kid”.
The Frenchman with 28 goals in 82 caps had made a promise: “I don’t know how I’m going to do it yet, but I’m going to try to find a way to go see him after the match to take a photo that he will send. to his dad. I’ll manage. This story deserves it.”
Finally, he will have had to wait for the third opportunity to put it into effect. Before kick-off, he therefore found the young player with 4 selections for an exchange full of complicity. That neither of them are likely to soon forget. And especially not the Ecuadorian, who finally came into play for his first minutes in the World Cup, in the 64th minute.