Milan striker Olivier Giroud is surprised to see Juventus out of the Scudetto race and admits he could have joined the Bianconeri one year ago.
The 2018 World Cup winner joined Milan from Chelsea in the summer but could have moved to Italy a few months earlier.
Andrea Pirlo wanted to sign him at Juventus in January 2020, but the 35-year-old snubbed a move to Turin, remaining at Chelsea.
“I opted to stay because I wanted to play my cards. Given how the season ended, I took the right decision,” the striker told Il Corriere dello Sport.
The Blues won the Champions League last term, before Giroud’s move to Milan.
The Rossoneri will meet Juventus on Sunday and the Frenchman is surprised not to see Juventus fight for the top spot.
“They didn’t have a good start, but it doesn’t mean they aren’t strong,” said Giroud.
“I admit I thought they would be in the race for the title. Regardless of Ronaldo’s exit, they have a talented team. Their offensive playmaker Paulo Dybala is a key player and a champion.
“Juventus are still among the best clubs in Italy, they are in a good moment and we must face them in the best way. They are experienced and it would be a mistake to underestimate them.”
Milan lost their last home game against Spezia with referee Marco Serra that made headlines by cancelling out a potential Junior Messias winner in the stoppages.
“You could see in his face that I was upset. He apologised, but unfortunately, these things can happen,” said Giroud.
“We had to win and we lost, it’s frustrating, but we have our responsibilities. We could have scored the second goal, now we need to turn this frustration into motivation to put in a great performance against Juve.
“We no longer want to live such a bad experience and it’s all down to us now.”
Milan are two points off leaders Inter, but the Nerazzurri have a game in hand. Can the Rossoneri win the Scudetto?
“The Girone di ritorno has just begun. We should not be worried about the table,” the striker claimed.
“We must focus on one game at a time. I know the value of this group and I am sure we will remain close to Inter and in the race until the end.”
#Giroud: "La #Juve mi voleva ma ho fatto bene a non andarci" ⬇️ https://t.co/mGKSpF027I
— Corriere dello Sport (@CorSport) January 21, 2022