Olivier Giroud granted an interview to those at Tuttosport to talk about his experience with Milan so far and the Scudetto victory.
Here are the legendary French centre-forward's statements:
"This championship is a crazy emotion. In my long career, I have won something, but this title is special because it is as though we players have waited for eleven years, like the fans, with whom a particular osmosis has been created. We felt their excitement for this Scudetto and I am proud to be part of this team that has incredible supporters. We had a great season for them too."
On a possible comparison with the championship Giroud won with Montpellier in 2012:
"The wait was similar, but in reality everything is different. Milan is a great club, which has won a lot in Italy and abroad. So, for a club like this, staying eleven years without a league title is something painful. We have finally put an end to this injustice", Giroud declared.
On the praise he received from AC Milan's legend Andriy Shevchenko:
"I grew up with the myth of Shevchenko. He was my idol, I enjoyed his goals, I celebrated his victories. Finding myself now, many years later, winning with his own jersey is a special moment for me. I have his voice message on WhatsApp, he wanted to compliment me in person. He thanked me for the Scudetto, he applauded me for the goals I scored. You understand that, for those who grew up having him as an idol, it is an incredible emotion."
On the goals he scored with Milan this season:
"There aren't many, but luckily I scored the ones that really mattered, that made the difference. The double at Inter made me realize immediately that it was really worth double. We had won the game and we were ahead in direct matches. If we had drawn in Reggio Emilia against Sassuolo, we would have won the title anyway. I pointed this out to Alexis Saelemaekers, when in Naples he missed the easy 2-0 that would have allowed us to take the lead even in direct clashes with Luciano Spalletti's team. To play down, he told me that he feared Inter more. Fortunately, I took care of the Nerazzurri. If I think about the number of goals scored, I am not particularly satisfied, but if I think about the value of my goals, then yes, I am very happy with what I have done. Even now I get goosebumps."
Giroud on his teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic:
"For me, it is an honour to have rewritten the history of Milan in his company. He is a few years older than me and, when I still had to become a footballer, he was my point of reference. His personality in the team is too important. When he speaks, everyone listens and no one is distracted. Even after the victory against Sassuolo, in the locker room, he spoke. He complimented every player and every staff member. He feels a bit like 'Braveheart', in his character. Staying in the cinematic metaphor, I can be the Gladiator of this group. Ibra is a top player and a great person. I told him I was very proud to have won with him. I like to see him with so much enthusiasm after so many victories. For me, he is like an older brother."
On Rafael Leao:
"I immediately saw, as soon as I arrived at Milan, that he had great potential and that, if he had become aware of his abilities, he would have gone high, very high. He is only 22 years old and in my career I have played with many young people of his age. Honestly, I don't remember one as strong. I hope he stays with us, he is the right player to continue growing and pursuing new goals. If he improves his continuity, he doesn't have to limit himself. He will go high, very high. The other day he won the MVP of the championship. I approached him and told him that for him that doesn't have to be a goal, but only a starting point. Where to? We will see", said Giroud.
On the national team and on Stefano Pioli:
"Let's see, I played, I scored and now I'm only 4 goals away from Thierry Henry. In any case, my goal, when I arrived at Milan, was certainly not to win back the national team, but it was to win the Scudetto with this team. Fantastic football is played here, modern football, full of intensity. Pioli reminds me a lot of the coach I had in Montpellier, René Girard, when I won the championship. He speaks from the heart, he manages to bring out the best in every player. This victory is necessarily also his, because he has a fundamental role. He puts the group in the best conditions to win. I feel like a kid again. It's like I'm 20, I'm living my second youth and I have no intention of stopping now that I'm back to having so much fun."
