It was to him that the task of opening the ball was entrusted.
The day after the arrival of the French team on Qatari soil, Olivier Giroud was the first tricolor, this Thursday, to appear in front of the microphones.
In the press room of the Jassim-Bin-Hamad stadium filled with some 200 members of the international media, the dean of the Blues, 36, expressed all his pride in participating in his third World Cup within a group in which he has enormous confidence despite the absences.
What did you think of the welcome received on your arrival?
OLIVIER GIROUD.
We knew that the federation would put us in the best conditions.
Yesterday we discovered the very beautiful hotel that is ours.
Everything is done to focus on the field.
The supporters, it's always nice to be in contact with them.
Having supporters tonight for training is good, we have the chance to train in a 12,000-seat stadium, it's nice to have the support of the supporters.
Can seeing you here bode well for a start against Australia, if Benzema was unable to hold his place?
Since we arrived, we've only done a muscular awakening and balneotherapy.
We haven't done any collective training yet so don't see any sign of it, we don't know anything about the team that will start next week.
You are the second top scorer for the France team but have yet to score in the World Cup.
To what extent is scoring in this competition a driving force?
I already scored at Euro 2016. But scoring in the top competition remains important.
I will be 200% to help the team and do my job on the pitch.
What role do you expect to play in this competition?
I'm very happy to be part of the adventure, it's a great pride to make my third World Cup.
My role, I've talked about it in the past.
I discussed it with the coach, everything is clear.
As soon as I'm needed, I'll try to bring what I know how to do.
In the absence of Paul Pogba, how will the roles be distributed in terms of leadership?
Paul will be greatly missed, but like Presnel (Kimpembe), NG (Kanté), Mike (Maignan) or Christo (Nkunku).
We will miss them and we will do everything to make them proud of us.
Paul takes up a lot of space in this France team because of his charisma and his leadership.
But I think there are other leaders who can emerge.
And I too will play my role of big brother for young people, be available and speak up when necessary.
Small stretching / unlocking session in the base camp after the trip from Paris!
#ProudofBleus pic.twitter.com/HWLoca6yAW
– French team ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) November 17, 2022
Like your zlatanesque goal, it seems that at 36 you are in the shape of your life?
The best, I don't know.
But in the past I was already doing Zlatanaries, I like acrobatic goals.
It's a good time for me, I feel good in my game, in my body.
At 36, having the opportunity to feel so good and to be decisive is a gift, I hope it will continue.
This is the first time you will play without preparation.
What does it change ?
It's my sixth big tournament and it's true, it's special to attack a World Cup in the middle of the season, in winter, without preparation.
But we are all housed in the same boat.
It's as if we were continuing in the wake of the championship.
The players are launched, in shape, do not need any preparation.
You just have to be vigilant with regard to small physical glitches.
But the staff are aware of it and we have enough experience to prepare.
At your age, can this World Cup be your last international competition?
I don't set myself any limits.
I said it could be my last competition.
But we will see after the World Cup.
The only certainty is my motivation to stay at the top level and have fun, which is intact.
Today, I ask myself no questions.
How do you deal with weather conditions, heat and humidity?
It's better there than if we played in July.
The heat seems stifling as it was already very heavy last night.
But we'll get used to it.
The first match takes place late, for the others, we will make sure to train earlier to acclimatize.
But I remember that in 2014 in Brazil, we played a match against Nigeria at 1 p.m. and it was 30 degrees.
With the many injuries, have you had any instructions from the coach to be careful in training?
You have to be careful in training and give everything in matches.
Afterwards there is always a little exposure to injuries.
Don't think about it and train normally.
Just be careful if you feel tension or pain.
What happened is unfortunate, the guys will be missed, but don't worry about it.
After Austria, Mbappé said he enjoyed playing with a pivot like you.
How do you conceive this role?
I am a striker with the qualities of a "target-man", with a play in deflection, in support.
The players like to rely on me as a relay.
For Kylian, it's a plus, it's a role he likes.
Many of us can play like that.
It's a role that I really like.
"The French team is a common thread in a career"
A few weeks ago you weren't sure you were there.
When did you feel the switch?
The France team is a common thread in a career.
To get there, you have to be decisive at club level.
That was the case with Milan, it gave me a lot of energy and when I joined the France team I was decisive.
That's what makes me here.
Is it a dream to participate in a World Cup?
Yes, when you have the chance to participate, you have to go all the way.
I had the chance to experience it in 2018. That's why participating in a third with this talented young group is a chance.
We are not going to pretend to be favorites, even if deep down we have an idea.
I have a lot of confidence in this group but we will go there step by step while keeping the desire to bring home the cup.
How motivated are you at the idea of winning a second World Cup in a row?
As a competitor, I'm always hungry.
At my advanced age, it is the determination and the mind that make me still here today, that I am never satisfied and that I always want more.
There is a possibility that you will take on a substitute role during the competition.
Do we prepare in a different way?
We have to prepare as if we were going to start the match.
The preparation must remain the same.
You have to have the energy to bring more when you come into play. The more we advance in the competition, the more the bodies will be put to the test and the more the impact of those who come into play will have to be decisive.
