AC Milan striker Olivier Giroud has revealed his immense feeling of pride and emotion after netting his first two goals for the club.
The Frenchman got a brace against Cagliari in a 4-1 win, and his first came as Milan won the ball back in midfield and Brahim Diaz led the charge on the break, waiting for defenders to commit before feeding Giroud who swept home with a perfect first time finish. The second came via a confident finish from the penalty spot.
Giroud spoke to DAZN after the game and offered his reflections after what will have no doubt been a very special night for the 34-year-old striker, with his comments transcribed by MilanNews and translated below.
“I am very proud to play for Milan and to play in the San Siro stadium. It is a great emotion. I am very happy with the team’s performance because we started the game by playing our football. We had a very good connection on the pitch, we would have I was able to score more but the support from the fans was incredible,” he said.
A lot had been made of the ‘number nine curse’ and those who had preceded the Frenchman in wearing the number but failing to make an impact. However, Giroud is a firm believer it does not exist, and his brace today was a good way to prove it.
“I felt there is something special with the number 9 shirt but I’m not superstitious. I believe in myself and in my abilities. As a child I used to watch Van Basten, Papin and Inzaghi and wearing this shirt makes me happy.”
With Franck Kessie absent due to injury, responsibility fell on Giroud’s shoulders to take the penalty earned a few minutes before the break for a handball from Strootman.
“On the sheet in the locker room I’m the penalty taker. I had already scored and I could have let him score (Theo) but I’m a forward and I wanted to score again.”
Finally, Giroud was asked about the experience of playing alongside another great in Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who watched on the sidelines and applauded his fellow striker.
“Ibrahimovic is a great champion and a great personality. He is very important in the locker room. I want to play with him on the pitch but I’m happy to play with my teammates too. We played very well and I hope it can be the same with Ibrahimovic. it matters who will play but it will be important to respect the coach’s choices.”
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