Big blow for France: 2024 Euro to be Giroud's last for Les Blues
Once Euro 2024 concludes, legendary French striker Olivier Giroud will no longer play for France on the international stage. An era will come to a close for Didier Deschamps’ side.
While playing for France, Giroud scored 57 goals in 131 games, cementing his place in soccer lore. This decision comes after a legendary career. In 2018, he achieved his greatest success by playing an essential part in their victorious World Cup campaign in Russia.
Giroud seems both nostalgic and eager to hand the team’s leadership role to the next generation in an interview with L’Equipe. But he did concede that the French national squad may need some new blood at the helm.
Even if they made it to the World Cup final in 2022 again, he thinks the team needs to create space for new talent. The 37-year-old striker said that he decided to retire internationally due to emotional and physical exhaustion.
“To be honest, this will be my last competition with Les Bleus. Obviously, I’m going to miss it a lot. But I think the French team will be over after the Euros. We need to make way for the youngsters.
“You also have to be careful not to have one season too many. You have to find the right balance. I’ve always said that I was going to stop when my body asked me to. I think I’ve got two good years left. But as far as the French team is concerned, I think that’ll be the end of it”, he added.
Looking to end international career on a high note
Looking back on a career spanning more than a decade, Giroud feels a mix of emotions as he gets ready for his last performance on a global platform. Still, he is dead set on achieving his goal of winning the European Championship, no matter how emotional the situation becomes.
“It’s really the desire to go as far as possible in the competition with this generation that drives me. If I win, apart from the Premier League, which is very difficult to win, I could say I’ve won everything… I’m also hearing a lot about reaching the 60-goal mark for the national team. But it’s not an obsession,” he ended.
Since Giroud’s impact on French soccer is much beyond his goal-scoring abilities, his departure marks the end of an era. Both his teammates and spectators have had nothing but praise for his commanding presence on the field, which he uses to set up his teammates for success.
France have a chance to redeem themselves and cement their place in soccer mythology in this event. On June 17, they will take on Austria in their first Group Stage match at Euro 2024. Then, they will play Poland and the Netherlands. Having lost to Switzerland in the quarterfinals of Euro 2020, Les Blues’ last championship was in 2000.
What will Giroud do after Euro 2024 appearance with France?
None the same, the squad will suffer a major setback with Giroud’s retirement. His record of 57 goals while wearing the Les Bleus jersey is still unbroken.
Giroud had six fruitful years at Arsenal, three with Chelsea, and another three at AC Milan as well. Throughout his professional career, he has won several titles and scored 285 goals in 716 appearances. One of his notable achievements was winning the Champions League three years ago with the Blues.
In 2012, he helped Montpellier win the French league, and ten years later, he helped the Rossoneri win the Italian league. Los Angeles FC of the Major League Soccer would be Giroud’s next club after the European Championship. The veteran made the announcement in early May.
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