Ex-Red Bull Youri Djorkaeff and ex-MetroStar Tab Ramos have both talked to the club about jobs with the club. And the latter added that several of his former French National Teammates want to play in New York, confirming he’s discussed it with Patrick Vieira and smiling coyly when asked about Thierry Henry.
Djorkaeff won the World Cup with France in 1998, and played for the Red Bulls before retiring in 2006. He still lives part-time in Manhattan, and when asked if he’d discussed returning to the team as coach or sporting director, he showed he hadn’t lost his sly sense of humor.

(ap photo)
“Why didn’t you ask me as a player?” Djorkaeff deadpanned to laughter, then patting his still-flat stomach. “We spoke with Erik (Stover, managing director) and Jeff Agoos a couple of weeks ago. I said if you need be, I will be here. If the Red Bulls need me, I will be here. I don’t know in which terms, but it’s in the hands of the boss. It’s not in my hands anymore.”
He was also asked the odds of Henry joining the Red Bulls. The Barcelona star told the Post in June that he thought he would “likely” join the team in the summer of 2011 when his la Liga contract expires, and recent reports from England and Spain suggest he might come after next summer’s World Cup.
“I’ve spoken with many French players who are really interested to come and to join MLS. They would prefer to stay in a nice city like New York, to play with New York,” Djorkaeff said. “But what I like in how they talk, is the desire to come, not just a publicity thing. The desire to play and to come here, and do well for MLS. I said don’t think it will be easy to do it, because I played here, I know how tough it is. But if you do it with the good thinking, you can have success here.”
When pressed specifically about Henry, he grinned and responded “I said SOME PLAYERS. I don’t say one player. I said some players…very good players.”
Vieira has said Djorkaeff convinced him to give MLS a try, and the latter confirmed as much.
“Yes, I talked with Patrick too. But that’s one of (many) interested in coming to New York,” Djorkaeff said. “But there’s a lot of attention about MLS, and about this club, and people expecting (much). What I said, it’s important to the player, but the tenor around you is very important too, and the coach is very important, too, and the club is very important too.
“I think the big chance for next season is if you have a stadium. For the first time I think it will be a great start for the Red Bulls because you have a stadium, you have a home, and you can build something very big for New York, not just for MLS, but for New York.”
Ramos, who retired after the 2002 campaign, spoke to the club about the possibility of coming on as a scout.
“We spoke earlier in the year about the possibility on the scouting side of the club,” Ramos said. “At this point the only thing I can say is the important thing is to wait until the year is over and at that point we can discuss it.
“I can’t make it a secret that I feel this is partly my club, and this is a place where I’d like to be. That’s all I can say. Maybe my time is now, maybe my time is two years from now. I don’t know.”
Ramos _ a St. Benedict’s grad who was raised in Harrison _ gushed over the prospect of the team finally having a home of its own, saying the “people of this area have waited long enough.”
As far as Djorkaeff, I wouldn’t read his comments to say that Henry was a lost cause and Vieira a fait accompli. If anything else, I’d figure the opposite.
His willingness to discuss Vieira by name might mean the defensive midfielder isn’t leaving Milan, or at least isn’t coming here. And his dogged determination to not even so much as mention Henry’s name is probably because Red Bull has been quiet as a cat about their business, and adamantly refuse to do anything to scuttle a signing. But that’s just me.
What do you think? Would you love to see Djorkaeff as coach, or sporting director? Figure Ramos would make a good scout? Think Henry or Vieira or any other French stars would be inclined only to come if their ex-teammate was running the show? Holla at us…


