Most Armenian football (soccer) fans over a certain age will remember the passion with which our communities followed the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

That year, there were two Diaspora Armenians (spyoorkahais) representing their country of birth. Youri Djorkaeff and Alain Boghossian both donned Les Bleus and honourably represented the eventual winner of the World Cup - host country, France.



Needless to say, Djorkaeff and Boghossian became heroes and were idolised in France. But they carried the same "hero" tag for another peoples - their fellow Diaspora Armenians, living in their millions across the world.

These fans shared a tragic family history with Djorkaeff and Boghossian, both of whom are descendants of survivors of the Armenian Genocide. Sharing in tragedy should also always mean we can share in joy ... and many Armenians did just that in supporting France and "our boys" at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

Djorkaeff and Boghossian were also in France's 2002 FIFA World Cup squad, but were less influential players in a significantly less influential team that year (France was eliminated in the first round without winning a game).

This World Cup, the 2014 version currently taking place in Brazil, also has two Diaspora Armenians set to make the Armenian world proud.

Matteo Darmian is representing European giant and four-time winner, Italy. Andranik Teymourian is representing Iran. Both players, like Djorkaeff and Boghossian in 1998, are considered starting players for their respective teams, therefore will be seeing plenty of action.

Darmian, at 24, is a newcomer to the Azzurri (Italian national team) setup. He is born in Italy, to Armenian parents, and is a product of the prestigious AC Milan youth system. The Rossoneri club gave him his first team debut at just 16-years-old, when he came on as a substitute in a Coppa Italia match. That same year, in 2006, he made his senior debut in the Serie A (Italy's premier club competition).



Darmian is now co-owned by AC Milan and Palermo, but was loaned out to Torino last season. His performances led to his selection by Italian national team coach, Cesare Prandelli for football's premier stage, the World Cup.

His squad number is 4, and he plays as an attacking right back.

Teymourian (aka Timotian), at 31, is a veteran of the Iran national team. And this is his second World Cup, having represented his birth country at Germany 2006. He is also born to Armenian parents.



Teymourian is an uncompromising defensive midfielder, and has played at his peak in the English Premier League, at clubs including Bolton and Fulham. He currently plies his trade at Iranian club, Esteghlal.

Teymourian, whose squad number is 14, recently became the Iran national team's first captain of Christian faith when he led the side in an international match.

Armenian football fans around the world, for the first time since Djorkaeff and Boghossian, have two Diaspora Armenians to cheer on in a World Cup. Until our promising Armenian national team develops enough to make it to a World Cup and officially represent the "yerakooyn", players like Darmian and Teymourian will capture our collective imagination.

The World Cup schedule, with Australian kick-off times, is available by clicking here. 

NOTE 1: Alain Boghossian, of 1998 World Cup fame, is at this current World Cup as Assistant Coach of the France national team. He is known to be one of the most promising, up-and-coming coaches in France and Europe.

NOTE 2: Youri Djorkaeff is also in Brazil for the World Cup, as a media pundit for French television.

ENJOY BRAZIL 2014 AND CHEER ON OUR BOYS!


(P.S. I would like to thank Tro Tufenkjian for bringing to my attention that Matteo Darmian is Armenian). 


Haig Kayserian, who authored this article, was a football reporter and editor for SBS - The World Game.