Olivier Giroud says he always knew he’d give North America a try. But when it came to the time and place of that move, the devil was in the details.
The distinguished French striker dished that story and a few other juicy tidbits as LAFC introduced their showcase summer signing to the public at a downtown Los Angeles hotel Thursday evening, with throngs of Black & Gold supporters on hand to give their club’s new recruit a proper welcome.
And the man of the hour knew just how to lay on the charm.
“Well, it was a bit crazy, if I can say,” the 2018 World Cup winner told the crowd. “Because my dream was one day to play in MLS if possible, to be honest with you - and my friends and my family know that - in Los Angeles.
“In 2020, back in the days, I was close to sign for Inter Milan; [instead] I signed for AC Milan one year after. Before that, I met someone from LA Galaxy; I told them it's not the right time for me to leave Europe. And yeah, I had this in my mind - to join LAFC for me is destiny, and that's where God wanted me to be, to be there with you guys.”
Zlatan endorsement
As much of a crowd-pleaser as that was, it turns out Giroud’s MLS move has an even more intriguing connection to LAFC’s El Tráfico rivals down in the South Bay. He also chatted up Galaxy alum Zlatan Ibrahimovic, his former teammate at Milan and now a senior advisor to the Rossoneri, who endorsed MLS, albeit with a note of caution about sweaty midsummer road trips to a certain Western Conference opponent in South Texas.
“I spoke to Zlatan - which was the wrong part of the city - and yeah, he told me I will enjoy, I will enjoy the league as a striker because the teams, they play, they don't play to keep the results or to defend, they play to score goals and to get pleasure for the passionate fans,” said Giroud. “But he just told me be careful if you play in August in Houston; you will be warm.”
LAFC's missing piece
Giroud would be quite a smash hit if he came anywhere close to Ibra’s 52 goals and 17 assists in 56 MLS regular-season appearances. But as their perch at the top of the West standings on points per game indicates, this LAFC side is a much more complete squad than the Galaxy were at that time, and Steve Cherundolo made sure to emphasize the holistic nature of the Frenchman’s contributions.
“I can't wait to see, obviously, him on the field, interact with our group, but we’re first of all looking forward to his qualities off the pitch,” said LAFC’s head coach. “He's a perennial winner, goal scorer, champion, and these are the things that we need to push our club even further. And most importantly for this particular group, his leadership skills, which I'm really looking forward to seeing.”
Here Cherundolo drove that point home in noticeably emphatic fashion.
“You have free rein with the group. You can say anything you want, I have your back,” he said to Girou. “It's really the piece we're kind of missing so far this season.
“What I am also looking forward to is the effect he is going to have on other players. Some of our younger attackers, like David Martínez, who is still learning the game, has now one of the best to look to and to learn from. Hopefully Olivier will inspire Denis Bouanga to do more defensively for us. But if he continues just to score goals, that's fine too. But in his effect on players he's played with around his career, because of his commitment, his leadership skills and his competitiveness, he makes everybody better, and this is something we're also looking forward to, and we need.”
Griezmann next?
The experience and aura of veteran imports has become a key ingredient in LAFC’s recipe for success, with the likes of Gareth Bale, Giorgio Chiellini and Giroud’s longtime France teammate Hugo Lloris – Giroud said “the most incredible thing” about his move is the opportunity to play alongside his old friend.
Might another French star soon follow suit? Giroud has also kept in touch with their colleague Antoine Griezmann, a noted aficionado of US sporting culture and a constant subject of MLS rumors.
“When he saw the news that I signed for the club, for LAFC, he was a bit jealous. And I told him, don't worry, we will meet each other in a few years – hopefully soon,” said Giroud of Griezmann. “I don't know where we are with the club, but yeah, I sent him straightaway a text when I've seen that he was linked with the club, and he told me let's see. But I know he loves US basketball, baseball and soccer. And one day or the other, he will come here for sure.”
In the meantime, Giroud - whose match debut remains TBA as he settles in and works back to fitness after some time off following a long, demanding 2023-24 campaign – is ready to take aim at current league leaders Inter Miami and their star-studded ‘Messi and friends’ roster.
“Obviously there's a strong team in the East conference with Miami, but I know a lot of teams are very competitive. We are second in the table, but with two games in hand. So the target is to finish at the top,” he said.
“It was the right moment for me to discover a new league and a new experience. But I will for sure have to adapt to the league, to my teammates, it's to me to adapt to everything -- I like it. I get used to it, because I've been at a few clubs in my career.”
