Olivier Giroud is getting better. The 33-year-old striker, starting on Sunday against Everton in the Premier League, will participate in his 5th consecutive meeting as starting. A first since the start of the season. He took advantage of this time to distinguish himself, scoring a decisive goal against Tottenham (2-1 victory).
The center of the Blues and Blues has granted an interview to the program Telefoot, broadcast this Sunday on TF1. The third top scorer in the history of the French team (39 goals in 97 caps) looked back on the complicated months with his current club, as well as his aborted transfer to Inter Milan during the winter: “ Even I saw myself elsewhere to be honest. I lived six complicated months. That's why I did everything to leave in January. In the end, with the circumstances, Chelsea did not want to. The sine qua non condition for my departure was to have a replacement. I was stuck. The most interesting for me was Inter Milan. The problem was that it dragged on, and in the end, even if the Lazio of Rome was there too, like Tottenham, it was more a question of where I was going to go, but if I could leave. ”
But then how to explain his return since mid-February. Has the former Montpellier and Arsenal had a click? No way. He just stayed professional. “I knew I shouldn't go on strike, or go to the club and the locker room. First because it is not me. But also because I knew there was a good chance that I would stay at Chelsea. That's why I stayed flawless, pro to the end. It was hard, I prayed a lot, I spoke with my mother. Today I know that if I am there it was the right choice. Even if it was not my choice, it is "destiny", in quotes. I had two reactions: either I mope on myself, or you have to keep fighting for your place. Above all, the coach promised me more opportunity to play, and kept my word. I just took my chance, ”reveals the 2018 world champion.
Deschamps's opinion counts
For Olivier Giroud, the priority is obviously to participate in Euro 2020. It is with this in mind that he wanted to find time in the game. But not anywhere. He acknowledges having surveyed Didier Deschamps on a possible future in the American championship. "We talked about it in October, seeing that it was not going very well for me. He had warned me. We talked briefly about MLS. And no, it was not an option to play the Euro. The Euro of course that is a big goal, finally, if it takes place! (He is laughing). To be serious, as long as the coach thinks that I can bring something to the France team, I will answer this. I have a lot of hope, and I plan to do the job with Chelsea to be summoned. ”
So why not return to Ligue 1, to gain more visibility in France? It could have happened. The native of Chambéry admitted to having received a call from the president of Olympique Lyonnais. The latter wanted to take advantage of his bad situation to attract him to the Rhône:
"Yes, I got it on the phone. He expressed his interest to me. I simply told him that I was flattered by Lyon, but that my priority was on Inter. ” Maybe it's only a postponement? "Who knows?" Dodges, laughing at the 1m93 attacker. His tenure at the forefront of the French team attack is still under debate, and Giroud has his detractors in France. Hope for him that his performances are good, so that the discussion is closed.
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