The final year of Youri Djorkaeff’s illustrious 22-year career has in many ways been the hardest, from the death of his best friend at the beginning of the season, to the six-week leave he took to tend to his ailing mother during it, to the constant, nagging injuries that threatened to ruin it.

But last night at Giants Stadium, with his Red Bulls needing to win their regular-season finale to reach the playoffs, the 38-year-old faced the finality of his career. He’s won almost everything a player can, from a World Cup to a UEFA Cup to a Cup Winner’s Cup. Everything, just about, but an MLS Cup.

Anything but a win against Kansas City would’ve ended the Red Bulls’ season, and Djorkaeff’s career. And while his leave from the club vexed many fans, and he admitted he considered quitting, he returned for one reason.

To do what he does best: chase championships.

“It was a tough year because in my off-field life I had so many bad things from Europe. At the beginning of the year I lost my best friend in Italy, then my [mother’s illness],” Djorkaeff said. “It was difficult to focus on soccer.

“[I was playing] normal. A player like me is always looking for the best; I don’t want to have normal days. I don’t like normal.

It was time to say, ‘OK, what do you want?’ Maybe it’s time to stop. But I had to come back and finish the job with [the Red Bulls]. I wanted to leave here with the respect of the players.” Win, lose or draw last night, Djorkaeff’s knew he’d have that.

His entire family, mother included, were on hand last night – the first time they’d all been together in the same stadium since watching him set up a goal in France’s 3-0 World Cup final rout of Brazil on July 12, 1998.

He was hoping they brought him similar fortune vs. Kansas City. Even though the club might be better off not reaching the playoffs and getting a $250,000 allocation from the league – think an NBA team ending up in the lottery – Djorkaeff only knows one way to play.