Olivier Giroud feels that referees are more sensitive in Italy than in England and that he was immediately convinced by the project in Milan.
The 35-year-old former Arsenal and Chelsea striker signed for the Rossoneri in a deal worth around €1m back in July last year and he is an important part of coach Stefano Pioli’s squad in the Lombardy capital.
Speaking on Colinterview – Oh my Goal, Giroud first discussed his injury troubles this season and how much better he’s feeling now.
“I had some unusual physical problems in the first part of the season. I contracted COVID in September after starting well and then I had back problems. It’s a neuromuscular disease that accentuates all the inflammation in your body and I had back problems.
“I pushed myself and got injured three days after the negative test. I was in the group to go to Anfield in the Champions League, I came back and hurt myself. The pain lasted six weeks and I didn’t play for a while.
“After that I had ankle and ischium problems for a month. Now I feel very good, I have the possibility to play without pain and that is a luxury when you are a professional player and especially when you are 35 years old.”
He spoke about his arrival in Italy and the differences he noticed between Serie A and the Premier League.
“Coming into contact with the others was easy for me as I knew a bit of Italian thanks to my grandmother’s origins. I knew a few words and this is important.
“My integration was also helped by the fact that there are several players who speak French, I found guys I knew and in the end what the coach asks of me on the pitch is not too complicated for me, because I know what he expects from me and what I have to do.
“It’s more about adapting to the referees who have a tendency to whistle for lighter contacts than they do in the Premier League.”
Finally, Giroud discussed his decision to sign for Milan last summer and how he was convinced of the project.
“I clearly accepted immediately, for me it was a test. I spoke with the manager Massara and Maldini and I immediately realised that they were looking for me and with the speech they gave me I was immediately convinced. I want to win and return to the top in Italy.”
The 35-year-old Giroud, who is contracted to Milan until 2023, has made 14 Serie A appearances so far this season, for a total of 784 minutes. In that time, he has scored five goals and provided two assists.
#Giroud: 'Limitato da un problema neuromuscolare, ora sto bene. Riporto il #Milan al vertice, su #Ibra e gli arbitri…' https://t.co/tpI0J7rBrz pic.twitter.com/G443XB4pb1
— calciomercato.com (@cmdotcom) January 29, 2022