Giroud: ‘Milan, I miss you – good luck for your Champions League return’
Olivier Giroud has sent a heartfelt message to AC Milan, expressing his longing for the club where he spent three of the happiest years of his career and wishing them well in their bid to return to the Champions League this season.
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The veteran forward, who is currently enjoying a productive spell at Lille with 11 goals to his name this season, spoke to Sky Sport Italia in a warm and nostalgic interview that touched on his love for the club, his most cherished memories and the ongoing struggles of the strikers who have followed in his footsteps.
“When I hear the word Milan, I think of the passion for football, San Siro, the Scudetto, the love of the fans when I was on the pitch,” Giroud said. “I have a lot of nostalgia for Milan, I miss this club where I spent three fantastic years. I hope the club returns to the Champions League next year.”
Asked whether Milan ranks alongside Arsenal as the club closest to his heart, given he supported both as a boy, Giroud was careful but deeply affectionate.
“I am very grateful to have played for the teams I supported as a child,” he said. “Milan is one of them, and when I arrived there I understood that it is one of those ‘different’ clubs, with a special history. I was very, very lucky, grateful and proud to have played for Milan.”
Giroud eases pressure on struggling Milan forwards
The interview took a pointed turn when the subject of Milan’s ongoing struggles to find a reliable number nine was raised, with Fullkrug, Gimenez and Nkunku combining for fewer goals than Giroud managed alone in some of his seasons.
The Frenchman’s response was diplomatic but revealing. “What can I say? This is perhaps a season in which there is a lot of pressure on the number nines. It is not easy for them to score many goals, but I think it is fundamental to have a team behind you that makes the difference. A striker cannot do everything alone.”
He was equally firm in deflecting blame away from individual attackers. “It would be too easy to blame them. When the number nine does not score, it is always ‘your fault.’ I do not like that. Even when I was scoring, I always thanked the team and my teammates who helped me.”
On his most cherished Milan memories, Giroud pointed immediately to his brace against Inter, which spawned the beloved terrace chant “Si è girato Giroud.”
“That is where the chant was born,” he said with evident pride. He also singled out a late winner against Spezia at San Siro, the one where he famously removed his shirt in celebration, as perhaps his most beautiful goal in a red and black shirt.
“The other day I watched all my goals at Milan and I got a little emotional,” he admitted. “My years at Milan are part of my story and of the club’s story. I just want to say that Milan will always be here,” he added, placing a hand over his heart.