Johan Djourou
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| Johan Djourou | ||
 |
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| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Johan Agwawandre Djourou | |
| Date of birth | January 18, 1987 (age 20) | |
| Place of birth | Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire | |
| Height | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) | |
| Playing position | Defender | |
| Club information | ||
| Current club | Arsenal | |
| Number | 20 | |
| Youth clubs | ||
| 2000-2002 2002 2002-2003 |
Payerne Training Center Etoile Carouge Arsenal |
|
| Senior clubs1 | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls)* |
| 2004- | Arsenal | 23 (0) |
| National team2 | ||
| 2006 - | Switzerland | 5 (0) |
|
1 Senior club appearances and goals |
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Johan Djourou (born January 18, 1987 in Côte d'Ivoire) is a Swiss international football player who currently plays for Arsenal. He is a central defender.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
[edit] Youth Development
Djourou was born in the Ivory Coast to Ivorian parents Joachim and Angeline later adopted by his father's first wife Daniele, a Swiss woman.[1] They moved to Geneva when he was 17 months old. He enrolled at the Payerne Training Center when he was 13 and then in 2002 joined local second division side Etoile-Carouge FC as a midfielder at 15. A few months later he signed scholarship forms for the Arsenal Academy. He officially joined Arsenal as a professional on August 1, 2003. He was a member of the Swiss European Under-19 Football Championship squad in 2004.[2]
[edit] Arsenal career
He made his first senior start for Arsenal in a 3-1 victory against Everton in the Carling Cup, having made his first appearance after 89 minutes of the corresponding match in the previous round against Manchester City on October 27, 2004.
Djourou made his full Premiership debut for Arsenal in the 7-0 victory over Middlesbrough on January 14, 2006, playing at centre-back with Philippe Senderos.
Djourou started Arsenal's FA Cup fourth round clash with Bolton Wanderers as part of a make-shift defence, a game in which Arsenal lost 1-0. He had also played in the third round clash with Cardiff City.
In the month of February, Djourou played in the league games against West Ham United, Birmingham City and Bolton Wanderers. In April 2006 he came on as a substitute against Aston Villa in Arsenal's 5-0 victory, having replacing the injured Emmanuel Eboué. He started April's premiership game against Portsmouth a game that also gave a comeback to Sol Campbell.
During this season, several Italian clubs (including Juventus) scouted Djourou in Arsenal's reserve matches (his contract was to expire at the end of the 2006-07 season), but after the end of the World Cup, he signed a six-year contract extension with Arsenal.
Djourou enjoys a good rapport with the Arsenal fans, with his own song having been created for him to the tune of "Chim Chim Cheree" from the movie Mary Poppins:
"Chim chiminy, chim chiminy, chim chim chiroo, who needs Sol Campbell when we've got Djourou?"
The song refers to the former Arsenal defender Sol Campbell, whose departure led to a lengthy run in the first team for Djourou.
[edit] International Football
He made his senior Switzerland international debut against Scotland on 1 March 2006, coming on as a substitute and again playing alongside Senderos.
Djourou was called up to the Switzerland 2006 FIFA World Cup squad despite not playing in the qualifiers. Although third choice central defender behind Philippe Senderos of Arsenal and Patrick Müller of Lyon he started Switzerland's round 16 game against Ukraine. Injury however led him to be substituted in the first half.
Arsène Wenger has predicted that Johan Djourou and Philippe Senderos will be the future Swiss centreback pairing for years to come.
[edit] Awards
On Dec. 16th 2006, Djourou was elected Newcomer of the Year 2006 during the TV Show Swiss Sports Awards.
[edit] Career Statistics
- (correct as of January 10, 2007)
| Club | Season | League | Cup* | Europe | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Arsenal | 2004-05 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Arsenal | 2005-06 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Arsenal | 2006-07 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Total | 37 | 0 | ||||||||
(* FA Cup, League Cup and FA Community Shield)
[edit] References
- ^ The Premiership Interview: Teenager going places fast. Glenn Moore (sport.independent.co.uk). Retrieved on September 17, 2006.
- ^ Johan Djourou: "Playing Is a Relief". Heinz Deubelbeiss (emagazine.credit-suisse.com). Retrieved on August 13, 2006.
[edit] External links
- The Premiership Interview: Teenager going places fast at sport.independent.co.uk
- Profile at arsenal.com
- Johan Djourou career stats at Soccerbase
- Profile at 4thegame.com
- Profile at premierleague.com
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Switzerland squad - 2006 FIFA World Cup | |
|---|---|---|
|
1 Zuberbühler | 2 Djourou | 3 Magnin | 4 Senderos | 5 Margairaz | 6 Vogel | 7 Cabanas | 8 Wicky | 9 Frei | 10 Gygax | 11 Streller | 12 Benaglio | 13 Grichting | 14 D. Degen | 15 Džemaili | 16 Barnetta | 17 Spycher | 18 Lustrinelli | 19 Behrami | 20 Müller | 21 Coltorti | 22 Yakın | 23 P. Degen | Coach: Kuhn |
||
| Arsenal F.C. - Current Squad |
|---|
|
1 Lehmann | 2 Diaby | 4 Fàbregas | 5 Touré | 6 Senderos | 7 Rosický | 8 Ljungberg | 9 Baptista | 10 Gallas | 11 van Persie | 13 Hleb | 14 Henry | 15 Denílson | 16 Flamini | 19 Gilberto | 20 Djourou | 21 Poom | 22 Clichy | 24 Almunia | 25 Adebayor | 27 Eboué | 30 Aliadière | 31 Hoyte | 32 Walcott | 33 Connolly | 43 Randall | 45 Traoré | Manager: Wenger |
