Milan striker Olivier Giroud has shown great heart by inviting a 10-year-old to San Siro to watch a game after he was bullied at school.
The forward was touched by the story of Maël, who dropped out of school after he was repeatedly harassed by one classmate who was practically stalking him.
“A child who experiences bullying should not have to change schools,” Giroud told RTL. “When you hear a child talk like that, it hurts your heart.”
The France international sent a video message directly to the little boy, assuring he was “very brave and I admire you a great deal.”
Giroud then invited Maël to San Siro so he could watch a Milan game and meet the Scudetto winner personally.
The boy’s father said they did not expect this surprise and he loves football, so Maël was “very touched and started to cry.”
The bullying had been going on for over three years and because they lived in a rural area, little Maël could not be moved to a different school, so they tried to set up a separate class just for him.
After another child came forward accusing the bully, it was finally agreed that the perpetrator had to go elsewhere.