AC Milan's striker, Olivier Giroud, accompanied Stefano Pioli in today's press conference ahead of the Champions League's first leg of the semi-final. Here are his words:
Do you feel something similar to the London derby in the area?
"It's a derby, definitely a special and different match. I like playing derbies and big games, I'm proud of this Milan team. I hope to do great things tomorrow, I'm very motivated."
You are the most experienced player. What do you say to your teammates?
"We all need each other to give our best. We know that we can achieve great things and play great matches with our qualities and characteristics. We all need to be 110% motivated. I try to stay positive and encourage my teammates", declared Giroud.
On the other side there's Lautaro. Is it a revenge match from the World Cup?
"And also from the Super Cup (laughs). It's not personal, we are 11 players and more on the bench, all united. It's not Giroud vs Lautaro, we leave the past behind, but it's an extra motivation."
Giroud, how great would it be to win with Milan after Chelsea?
"We're talking about a special club. Last year, I couldn't ask for more than winning the Scudetto. I'm very proud of what we're doing with this team, with the coach and his staff. It would be deserved, for the effort we put in, and I would be very proud to reach the final. It would be fantastic and I think the fans deserve it."
Are you paying too much attention to this game and the duel with Inter's Lautaro Martinez?
"Nothing limits my concentration. I'm focused on the things I have to do on the field, with my teammates."
How motivating was Paolo Maldini's visit to training?
"He's here every day... He always supports us, follows us in training every day at Milanello. It's something that really surprised me when I arrived, I didn't expect it, but Massara and Maldini are always here to support us, to talk to us. They're really always present, from this point of view, it's a normal pre-match."
Did you imagine all this when you left the Premier League? Giroud said:
"Well, the last few times at Chelsea were difficult, I needed a new challenge and the first year couldn't have gone better. This season it's fantastic to play a Champions League semifinal: you can always improve, but things are going really well. I'm not that young anymore, but I still have a lot of desire to win a trophy and I hope we can do it."
