Milan’s talisman from 2021 to 2024, Olivier Giroud, who is currently playing for LOSC Lille, reveals his intention to retire from football.
According to statements reported by L’Equipe, this will likely be Olivier Giroud’s final season as a professional soccer player, as he has expressed his intention to say goodbye to the sport.
Giroud’s comments to L’Equipe
“This is most likely my last season as a football player, which is why I’m enjoying every moment. I feel at peace with myself and with everything I’ve managed to achieve throughout my career. Returning to France after my entire career has been very important; it brings a chapter to a close and makes me feel very at peace with myself. My goal is to continue enjoying every moment of this sport, but this was the best possible choice for this part of my journey.”
Giroud’s decorated career
Club level
Olivier Giroud, as of today, has accrued 806 appearances in club football, across multiple leagues including Ligue 3, Ligue 2, Ligue 1, Premier League, Serie A, and MLS, scoring 303 goals and providing 105 assists. He played important roles at clubs such as Montpellier, where his 21 goals and 12 assists were crucial in becoming the Ligue 1 champions, which was the first ever league title in Montpellier‘s history, finishing ahead of PSG. In addition, Giroud played for Arsenal and Chelsea, where he won 4 FA Cups, 3 English Super Cups, 1 Europa League, and 1 UEFA Champions League. It is also notable that he was the winner of the FIFA Puskás Award in 2017 for his scorpion kick against Crystal Palace.
For AC Milan, Giroud appeared 132 times scoring 49 goals and providing 20 assists, many of those coming in big games against the likes of Inter, Napoli, and more. With Giroud up top, Milan was able to win their first Scudetto since 2011 in 2022, and reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League in the season afterwards. Additionally, Giroud is known to have broken the “number 9 curse” narrative following unsuccessful Milan strikers around those times, and will also be remembered as a cult-hero for his performance as emergency goalkeeper against Genoa, even getting a stop to secure the 1-0 win.
International level
Beyond club football, Olivier Giroud has been highly successful for the French National team as well, accruing 137 appearances, with 57 goals and 15 assists. He played an important role in France’s World Cup win in 2018, contributed in the UEFA Nations League win in 2021, and beyond that was an ever-present figure in the majority of France’s deep runs in international competitions while he was capped.
