- Johan Djourou
-
Johan Djourou 
Personal information Full name Johan Danon Djourou-Gbadjere[1] Date of birth 18 January 1987 Place of birth Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire Height 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)[2] Playing position Centre back Club information Current club Arsenal Number 20 Youth career 1998–2002 Étoile Carouge 2002–2004 Arsenal Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 2004– Arsenal 73 (1) 2007 → Birmingham City (loan) 13 (0) National team‡ 2005 Switzerland U20 3 (0) 2005–2006 Switzerland U21 2 (0) 2006– Switzerland 29 (1) * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 12:47, 5 November 2011 (UTC).
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 13:27, 17 September 2011 (UTC)Johan Danon Djourou-Gbadjere (born 18 January 1987 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast), more commonly known as Johan Djourou, is an Ivorian-born Swiss international footballer who plays for Arsenal. He used to play as a defensive midfielder in his youth for former club Etoile Carouge, but on his arrival at Arsenal was converted to a central defender. He occasionally fills in at full back for Arsenal and played several games in central midfield while on loan to Birmingham City.
Contents
Club career
Youth development
Djourou was born in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, to Ivorian parents Joachim and Angeline, and was later adopted by his father's first wife Daniele, a Swiss woman.[3] 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 Étoile Carouge as a midfielder at 15. A few months later he signed scholarship forms for the Arsenal Academy.[4] He officially joined Arsenal as a professional on 1 August 2003. He was a member of the Swiss under-19 squad that reached the semi-finals of the 2004 European Championships.[5]
Arsenal
Djourou made his first senior start for Arsenal in a 3–1 victory against Everton in the League Cup, having made his first appearance after 89 minutes of the corresponding match in the previous round against Manchester City on 27 October 2004. He made his full Premiership debut for Arsenal in the 7–0 victory over Middlesbrough on 14 January 2006, playing at centre-back with Philippe Senderos. Djourou started Arsenal's FA Cup fourth round clash with Bolton Wanderers as part of a makeshift defence, a game in which Arsenal lost 1–0. He had also played in the third round clash with Cardiff City.
Djourou taking a throw in against Reading
In February 2006, 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, replacing the injured Emmanuel Eboué. He started April's premiership game against Portsmouth, a game which also saw the comeback of 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.
He played in Arsenal's 2007 pre-season Emirates Cup win, against both Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain.
Loan to Birmingham
On 10 August 2007 he signed for Birmingham City on loan for a five-month period.[6] He made his debut two days later against the previous season's FA Cup and League Cup winners Chelsea. This was a closely fought contest in which Chelsea ran out eventual 3–2 winners, in which Djourou cleared off the line from Frank Lampard to keep Birmingham City in the game.[7]
Djourou continued to play for Birmingham consistently through his loan period until 22 December 2007, when he gifted Bolton Wanderers' Nicolas Anelka a goal via an errant throw-in.[8] This marked his last appearance for the club. Although Birmingham manager Alex McLeish was keen to retain him, Djourou returned to Arsenal at the end of his loan spell, as cover for Kolo Touré and Alex Song who were playing in the 2008 African Cup of Nations.[9]
Return to Arsenal
In May 2008, Djourou stated that he would be willing to partner Cesc Fàbregas in midfield after the departure of Mathieu Flamini to A.C. Milan. Instead the young Swiss played in the centre of defence as first choice backup following the departure of fellow Swiss defender Philippe Senderos to A.C. Milan on a season-long loan. In September, Djourou signed a new long-term contract.[10]
After Touré's departure to Manchester City, Djourou had a chance to break into the starting eleven. However, on 11 April 2009, in a league match against Wigan Athletic, Djourou suffered a knee injury which later required surgery. In September 2009, his club estimated a recovery period of six to eight months; Arsène Wenger stated: "He will have to be patient this season."[11]
In March 2010, Djourou appeared on Arsenal TV Online's 'Arsenal Live' programme. He announced that he was getting closer to a return: "I am nearly at the end. It has been a long road for me and I am really looking forward to being back on the field." He made his return from injury as a second-half substitute in the 4-0 win over Fulham in Arsenal's final game of the season. Djourou replaced the injured Mikaël Silvestre and this was his only appearance in the 2009–10 campaign.
Due to Thomas Vermaelen's injury at the beginning of the 2010-11 campaign, Djourou received more opportunities to play. Wenger admitted that he rotates the Swiss international because he missed an entire year and does not want to lose him.[12] Djourou became Arsenal's first-choice centre-back, playing in all eight games in January 2011, during which time Arsenal conceded no Premier League goals. He scored his first goal for Arsenal on 5 February, in the third minute of a 4–4 draw against Newcastle United at St. James' Park. On 27 February 2011, Djourou started and played the full 90 minutes alongside Laurent Koscielny against Birmingham City in the 2011 Carling Cup final held at Wembley Stadium in a disappointing 2-1 defeat.
On 12 March, while playing in the quarter finals of the FA Cup away to Manchester United at Old Trafford, Djourou suffered a suspected dislocated shoulder in a collision with team-mate Bacary Sagna. Djourou was carried from the field and Wenger later confirmed that he would be unavailable for the remainder of the 2010–11 season. This came as a major blow to Arsenal's title challenge, up until then having not lost a Premier League game with him on the field. As well as that Djourou had played a major part in defence in cover of the injured Thomas Vermaelen. Djourou recovered more quickly than expected, returning to play the whole of the 1–1 draw with Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium on 17 April, playing alongside Laurent Koscielny, and the North London Derby three days later. On 24 April, against Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok Stadium, he conceded a penalty (missed by Kevin Davies) in a 2–1 defeat which effectively ended Arsenal's title hopes. At the end of the 2010-11 season, he played in a total of 37 matches for the Gunners in all competitions.
International career
Djourou at Euro 2008 with SwitzerlandHe made his senior Switzerland international debut against Scotland on 1 March 2006, coming on as a substitute and again playing alongside Philippe 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, then of Arsenal, and Patrick Müller, then of Lyon, he started Switzerland's round 16 game against Ukraine. Injury, however, led him to be substituted in the first half. Later that year, he made two appearances during Switzerland's qualification campaign for the UEFA U-21 Championship, but did not appear for the Swiss U-21 squad since. After missing nearly the entire season for Arsenal in 2009–10, he was left out of the Swiss squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup held in South Africa. In June 2011, with Switzerland 2–0 up against England in a Euro 2012 qualifier, Djourou fouled Arsenal teammate Jack Wilshere to concede a penalty, allowing England to pull a goal back although the match ended in a 2–2 draw at the Wembley Stadium.[13]
He has currently won 28 caps and has one goal for the Swiss national team.[14]
Career statistics
- Statistics accurate as of 29 August 2011[15]
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Europe Total Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Arsenal 2004–05 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 3 0 2005–06 7 0 2 0 3 0 0 0 12 0 2006–07 21 0 1 0 3 0 5 0 30 0 Birmingham City (loan) 2007–08 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 0 Arsenal 2007–08 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 2008–09 15 0 4 0 2 0 8 0 29 0 2009–10 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2010–11 22 1 3 0 6 0 6 0 37 1 2011–12 5 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 8 0 Career total 86 1 10 0 19 0 21 0 136 1 Honours
Arsenal
Runner-up
- UEFA Champions League: 2005–06
- League Cup: 2007, 2011
Personal life
Djourou's younger brother Olivier was playing football for Urania Genève Sport in 2008.[16]
References
- ^ "Premier League clubs submit squad lists". Premier League. 1 September 2010. http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~2142220,00.html. Retrieved 1 September 2010.
- ^ "Player profile: Johan Djourou". UEFA. http://www1.en.uefa.com/teamsandplayers/players/player=67173/profile/index.html. Retrieved 30 September 2010.
- ^ Moore, Glenn (16 September 2006). "The Premiership Interview: Teenager going places fast". The Independent (London). http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/comment/article1603881.ece. Retrieved 17 September 2006.
- ^ Deubelbeiss, Heinz (16 June 2006). "Johan Djourou: "Playing Is a Relief"". In Focus. Credit Suisse. https://emagazine.credit-suisse.com/app/article/index.cfm?fuseaction=OpenArticle&aoid=154799&coid=97&lang=EN. Retrieved 3 September 2010.
- ^ "UEFA Under-19 European Championship: Switzerland 2–3 Turkey"]. UEFA. http://en.archive.uefa.com/competitions/under19/history/season=2004/round=1665/match=79219/report=lu.html. Retrieved 30 September 2010.
- ^ "Djourou completes Birmingham move". BBC Sport. 10 August 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/birmingham_city/6940347.stm. Retrieved 30 September 2010.
- ^ "Commentary: Chelsea v Birmingham". Sky Sports. 12 August 2007. http://www.skysports.com/football/match_commentary/0,19764,11065_2861069,00.html.
- ^ Standley, James (12 December 2007). "Bolton 3–0 Birmingham". BBC Sport. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/7145742.stm. Retrieved 2 January 2008.
- ^ "Wenger explains Djourou's Birmingham recall". Arsenal F.C. 21 December 2007. http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/wenger-explains-djourou-rsquo-s-birmingham-recall. Retrieved 22 September 2008.
- ^ "Johan Djourou signs new long-term contract". Arsenal F.C. 22 September 2008. http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/johan-djourou-signs-new-long-term-contract. Retrieved 22 September 2008.
- ^ Clarke, Richard (10 September 2009). "Djourou ruled out for 'six to eight months'". Arsenal F.C. http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/djourou-ruled-out-for-six-to-eight-months-. Retrieved 30 September 2010.
- ^ "Wenger hails 'dominant' Djourou". Sky Sports. http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_6555257,00.html.
- ^ McNulty, Phil (4 June 2011). "England 2–2 Switzerland". BBC Sport. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13553428.stm. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
- ^ "A-Team Kader: Portrait: Johannes Djourou [A Team Squad: Portrait: Johan Djourou]" (in German). Swiss Football Federation. 4 June 2011. http://www.football.ch/nm/de/A_Team-portrait.aspx. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
- ^ "Johan Djourou Statistics". ESPNsoccernet. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/players/stats?id=45941&cc=3436. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
- ^ Bordier, Michel (May 2008). "Dans la famille Djourou, je demande le frère!" (in French). Le Chênois: p. 52. http://212.109.85.34/downloads/Chenois/Le_Chenois_458.pdf. Retrieved 30 September 2010.
External links
- Profile at Arsenal.com
- Johan Djourou career stats at Soccerbase
- Profile at 4thegame.com
- Johan Djourou on Twitter
Switzerland Squad Switzerland squad – 2006 FIFA World Cup 1 Zuberbühler • 2 Djourou • 3 Magnin • 4 Senderos • 5 Margairaz • 6 Vogel (c) • 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 Yakin • 23 P. Degen • Coach: Kuhn
Switzerland squad – UEFA Euro 2008 1 Benaglio • 2 Djourou • 3 Magnin • 4 Senderos • 5 Lichtsteiner • 6 Huggel • 7 Cabanas • 8 Inler • 9 Frei (c) • 10 Yakin • 11 Streller • 12 Derdiyok • 13 Grichting • 14 Gygax • 15 G. Fernandes • 16 Barnetta • 17 Spycher • 18 Zuberbühler • 19 Behrami • 20 Müller • 21 Jakupović • 22 Vonlanthen • 23 Degen • Coach: KuhnArsenal F.C. – current squad 1 Almunia · 2 Diaby · 3 Sagna · 4 Mertesacker · 5 Vermaelen · 6 Koscielny · 7 Rosický · 8 Arteta · 9 J.Y. Park · 10 v. Persie (c) · 11 A. Santos · 13 Szczęsny · 14 Walcott · 15 Chamberlain · 16 Ramsey · 17 Song · 18 Squillaci · 19 Wilshere · 20 Djourou · 21 Fabiański · 23 Arshavin · 24 Mannone · 25 Jenkinson · 26 Frimpong · 27 Gervinho · 28 Gibbs · 29 Chamakh · 30 Benayoun · 31 Ryo · 39 Coquelin · 40 Eastmond · 49 Miquel · 53 Özyakup · Manager: Wenger
Categories:- 1987 births
- Living people
- People from Abidjan
- Swiss footballers
- Switzerland international footballers
- Swiss expatriate footballers
- Association football defenders
- Association football utility players
- Étoile Carouge FC players
- Arsenal F.C. players
- Birmingham City F.C. players
- Premier League players
- 2006 FIFA World Cup players
- UEFA Euro 2008 players
- Adoptees
- Swiss people of Ivorian descent
- Swiss expatriates in the United Kingdom
- Expatriate footballers in England
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