Olivier Giroud explains why Serie A has surprised him and admits his desire to win the Scudetto with Milan: ‘It’s my childhood dream, I followed Arsenal and the Rossoneri…’
The 2018 France World Cup winner moved to San Siro from Chelsea last summer and is playing a key role for Stefano Pioli’s side this season. Milan are the table leaders with a three-point lead over second-placed Napoli and are en route to winning their first Scudetto in 11 years.
“Inter remain a danger, like Napoli and Juve. We are aware that the title is possible, but we must remain humble and work hard until the end. The last games are like finals, we’ll face them at 200% to reach our goals,” Giroud told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“[The Scudetto] is a dream I had as a kid. I used to follow the Arsenal of the French as a kid, but I also supported the Milan of my favourite player: Andriy Shevchenko. I’d be glad to win the Scudetto like him.
“We have a perfect mix between young and experienced players. There are the right ingredients. In the past, there were top stars such as Nesta, Ronaldinho, Pirlo, Seedorf, Inzaghi, but we also have important names and some promising youth.”
How about his rapport with Zlatan Ibrahimovic? The Swede was supposed to be Milan’s regular starter, but many injuries have affected him, so Giroud climbed the pecking order and scored some decisive goals against Inter and Napoli.
“I once told Ibra that my friends gifted me his Barcelona shirt,” Giroud revealed.
“He was a top striker already and I was just at the beginning. He laughed about it, without making fun of me. We also swapped shirts because I want to remember our period together at Milan.”
Has Serie A surprised Giroud?
“I didn’t expect the intensity against smaller teams, they all take risks to win,” he admitted.
“We knew about Atalanta but we also struggled against Spezia or Salernitana aside from some refereeing mistakes. It will be tough to win against Torino and Verona.
“Turfs could be improved in many stadiums. In Premier League, they are perfect. I saw some very small locker rooms, but the same happens in England. The truth is that I like this football.”
Is he surprised by his compatriots Theo Hernandez, Mike Maignan and Pierre Kalulu?
“Theo is not a surprise and it’s no coincidence that he is part of the national team. The same goes for Mike. He is the future of the national team when Lloris retires.
“Pierre [Kalulu] has surprised me with his versatility. He is young, but he can do great things. I am happy for him, he is working hard and he deserves everything he is achieving.”
Giroud’s contract at Milan runs out in 2023. He has scored 11 goals and delivered four assists in 29 appearances with the Rossoneri this season. Milan are also in the race to win the Coppa Italia and picked up a 0-0 draw in the first leg semi-final against Inter at the beginning of March.
Giroud lancia la volata scudetto: "Io, i tanti francesi, Ibra. Questo #Milan è da sogno" https://t.co/43hK12F5wY
— La Gazzetta dello Sport (@Gazzetta_it) March 22, 2022
Very underrated player who has often been unfairly maligned.
Great guy and excellent transfer by Milan
The picture is of his woeful miss vs Cagliari. Expert level trolling.