At 36, he remains unstoppable in the French team. Olivier Giroud scored again against Gibraltar, his 54th goal in blue. No question of international retirement for the striker and it would even be a mistake to consider it for him, according to Marc Libbra.
As often for 10 years, he unblocked the situation for the French team with a fine goal on Friday. No, we are not talking about Kylian Mbappé but about Olivier Giroud. At 36, the AC Milan striker continues to chase goals with the Blues. Facing Gibraltar, it took him less than 3 minutes to place a superb header. The 54th goal in selection for a player not decided to stop in such a good way. While Hugo Lloris or Raphael Varane stopped the selection, he continued after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
To do well, France needs its Giroud
Despite the emergence of Kolo Muani and the ever greater power granted to Mbappé, Giroud retains the confidence of Didier Deschamps in the axis of the attack. Giroud gives it back to him on the field. In addition to his goal, he still knew how to make himself useful on the front of the attack in Faro on Friday evening. Despite his advanced age, it would be premature to send him into retirement just yet. This is the opinion of Europe 1 consultant Marc Libbra, who recalled the qualities, contribution and liabilities of Giroud in the France team.
🥅 #Giroud : how far can he go with the #Blues ?
💬 @marclibbra “He does the dirty work, you don’t notice it. Today, the#EDF needs a #Giroud. He deserves a little more respect.” pic.twitter.com/ob9EV2epZ5
– Europe 1 Sport (@Europe1Sport1) June 17, 2023
” As long as his body gives him the desire to run and make the effort… Because once again, he is a player who is not very good to watch whether we like it or not. But, Giroud does the dirty work all the time. It is true that it is not noticeable. Giroud has always done this. He has humility, he never says anything. He complained once, and I think he was right about Kylian Mbappé, we held it against him and he paid directly by being dismissed. Fortunately, it worked out for him. Today, whether it’s Mbappé or the French team, there is a need for a Giroud. (…) He presses to the right, to the left, he creates breaches. When we won the World Cup in 2018, it was very important. (…) He deserves a little more respect. On Friday, no one cited him to score the opening goal. 3 minutes of play and a goal from Giroud “, he hammered. Given his level of performance and if he keeps in shape, he can apply for a place at Euro 2024 even at the age of 37.
