Vikash Dhorasoo

Internationally, Dhorasoo earned 18 caps and scored once for France from 1999 to 2006. He was part of their team that came runners-up at the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

• Name — Vikash Dhorasoo • Full Name — Vikash Rao Dhorasoo • Born — 10 October 1973 • Birthplace — Harfleur, Seine-Maritime, France • Height — 1.68 m • Position — Central midfielder • Years1 — 1993–1998 • Clubs1 — Le Havre • Caps1 — 137 • Goals1 — 4 • Years2 — 1998–2004 • Clubs2 — Lyon • Caps2 — 161 • Goals2 — 11 • Years3 — 2001–2002 • Clubs3 — → Bordeaux (loan) • Caps3 — 28 • Goals3 — 1 • Years4 — 2004–2005 • Clubs4 — AC Milan • Caps4 — 12 • Goals4 — 0 • Years5 — 2005–2006 • Clubs5 — Paris Saint-Germain • Caps5 — 37 • Goals5 — 0 • Years6 — 2007 • Clubs6 — Livorno • Caps6 — 0 • Goals6 — 0 • Totalcaps — 375 • Totalgoals — 16 • Nationalyears1 — 1994–1996 • Nationalteam1 — France U21 • Nationalcaps1 — 12 • Nationalgoals1 — 2 • Nationalyears2 — 1996 • Nationalteam2 — France Olympic • Nationalcaps2 — 4 • Nationalgoals2 — 0 • Nationalyears3 — 1999–2006 • Nationalteam3 — France • Nationalcaps3 — 18 • Nationalgoals3 — 1 • Medaltemplates — Country 2006 Germany 1996 Spain 1995 France Rome 1995

Born in Harfleur, Seine-Maritime, Dhorasoo began his football career with Le Havre AC, where he made his debut in a 0–0 draw with AS Saint-Etienne in August 1993. After five years at Le Havre, he went on to play for Olympique Lyonnais in 1998. He had a brief spell at league rivals FC Girondins de Bordeaux from 2001 to 2002. He won two French Ligue 1 championships with Lyon in 2003 and 2004. In April 2004, Dhorasoo agreed to move abroad to play for Italian club AC Milan, on a two-year deal. He was an unused substitute in the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final, when Liverpool beat A.C. Milan on penalties, but won a runners-up medal.

• Illustration — Dhorasoo with Paris Saint-Germain in 2006 Dhorasoo moved back to France in 2005, signing for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). He was part of the PSG squad that won the 2006 Coupe de France, as he scored a 25-yard shot in the final and secured the victory against fierce rivals Marseille. In September 2006, he criticised manager Guy Lacombe in an interview with L'Equipe, and a month later his contract with PSG was terminated, being the first player to be sacked from a French club since the Professional Footballers Charter was set up in 1973. The reasons listed for dismissal were "His refusal to play for the reserves, his lack of loyalty, also his insubordination, disobedience and his permanent air of provocation".

On 3 July 2007, Livorno announced to have signed Dhorasoo with a statement on their official website. However, Livorno rescinded his contract in October of the same year due to differences with the club, before having played. According to club president Aldo Spinelli, he refused to play a game for them.

While at Lyon, Dhorasoo made his debut for the France national team in a goalless draw against Ukraine on 27 March 1999. He played another national team match in June 1999, before his national team career went into a five-year hiatus. Dhorasoo was called up for the France national team for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification in September 2004, and he represented the country at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. After the World Cup, Dhorasoo publicly revealed the time spent in the French squad during the month-long tournament, through a documentary titled Substitute, much to the anger of France national team manager Raymond Domenech and the French Football Federation. Dhorasoo was warned against publishing the documentary. He retired from the France national team, saying "I am not interested in playing for Les Bleus any more. It's over." Dhorasoo made 18 national team appearances between 1999 and 2006, scoring a single goal in a 4–0 home win over Cyprus on 12 October 2005, ensuring a place at the 2006 World Cup.

As of 2023, Dhorasoo was a football consultant for the French sports channel L’Equipe. In 2008 he acted in the film La très très grande entreprise. He authored four books; Substitute, Comme Ses Pieds, L’Engagement – explique a ma fille et ses potes du quartier and the 2020 graphic novel J’perds pas la boule, illustrated by Emilie Gleason. He ran in the 2020 Paris municipal election.

In July 2009, he became chairman of French football club L'Entente SSG.

Dhorasoo is an Indo-Frenchman of Indo-Mauritian origins. His ancestors were Telugu from Vizianagaram, India who migrated to Mauritius in the 19th century. After his dismissal from PSG in 2006, Dhorasoo became a professional poker player for Winamax. He stopped playing professionally in September 2011 after a defeat at the Partouche Poker Tour in Cannes. He earned $527,453 in his poker career, and was ranked 142nd on France's all-time winners in November 2020. Dhorasoo's favourite music group is Belle and Sebastian and his favourite author is Jonathan Coe. Dhorasoo is married and father of two daughters, born in 2003 and 2005. He has spoken against discrimination and in 2003 he started actively supporting Paris Foot Gay, a football club which combats homophobia and other discrimination in the sport.

• Score and result list France's goal tally first, score column indicates score after Dhorasoo goal. International goal scored by Vikash Dhorasoo • No. — Date — Venue — Opponent — Score — Result — Competition • 1 — 12 October 2005 — Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France — Cyprus — 3–0 — 4–0 — 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification