Olivier Giroud
From TheChels.info - The Chelsea Football Club Wiki
| Olivier Giroud | |
| |
| Full Name | Olivier Jonathan Giroud |
| Date of Birth | 30 September 1986 |
| Place of Birth | Chambéry, France |
| Position | Striker |
| Chelsea career | 2018 – 2021 |
| Debut | 05 February 2018 |
| Games (goals) | 119 (39) |
| Other clubs | Froges Grenoble Foot 38 Istres (loan) Tours Montpellier HSC Arsenal AC Milan Los Angeles FC Lille |
Olivier Giroud is a French striker who played for Chelsea from 2018 until 2021.
Contents |
Before Chelsea
Giroud began his senior career at Grenoble in Ligue 2, then had a brief loan spell at Istres. He gained attention during his time at Tours, where he was the top scorer in Ligue 2 in the 2009–10 season. In 2010, Giroud joined Montpellier, where he truly broke out. He was the top scorer in Ligue 1 during the 2011–12 season and played a key role in Montpellier's historic Ligue 1 title win that same year.
In 2012, Giroud signed with Arsenal in the Premier League. Over six seasons, he scored over 100 goals for the club, winning three FA Cups (2014, 2015, 2017) and becoming known for his strength, link-up play, and acrobatic goals.
Chelsea career
2017–18 Season
Giroud arrived from Arsenal in January 2018 to support Álvaro Morata. He made an instant impression, scoring important goals in the Premier League—including a brace against Southampton—and the FA Cup. He started in the 2018 FA Cup Final, where Chelsea beat Manchester United 1–0. Although he only spent half the season at Stamford Bridge, Giroud quickly became a fan favourite due to his professionalism, physical presence, and work ethic.
2018–19 Season
Giroud was used sparingly in the Premier League under Sarri, often behind Gonzalo Higuaín, but he starred in the Europa League, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with 11 goals. He was particularly outstanding in knockout rounds and scored in the final against Arsenal, helping Chelsea lift the trophy with a 4–1 win. Despite a limited league role, Giroud’s European performances were instrumental in the club’s continental success.
2019–20 Season
Giroud began the season as third-choice behind Tammy Abraham and Michy Batshuayi and was heavily linked with a January exit. However, injuries to Abraham gave Giroud a chance in the second half of the season, and he took it superbly—scoring 8 goals after the restart, including crucial strikes in Chelsea’s push for top four. His leadership and experience were praised by Lampard, and he earned a one-year contract extension as reward for his professionalism and contributions.
2020–21 Season
Despite competition from Timo Werner and others, Giroud delivered when called upon. He scored a stunning overhead kick winner vs Atlético Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16 and a remarkable 4-goal haul against Sevilla in the group stage. While he wasn’t a regular starter under Tuchel, his big-match pedigree and clutch moments helped Chelsea progress. He was an unused substitute in the Champions League Final, which Chelsea won against Manchester City, earning Giroud his first Champions League title. Giroud left Chelsea in July 2021 to join AC Milan, where he would go on to win the Serie A title in his debut season.
Statistics
- See also: List of Olivier Giroud goals
| Season | Prem | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |
| 2017-18 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 5 |
| 2018-19 | 27 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 13 |
| 2019-20 | 18 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 25 | 10 |
| 2020-21 | 17 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 11 |
| Total | 75 | 17 | 12 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 26 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 119 | 39 |
- Correct as of the end of the 2019-20 season"
International
Olivier Giroud made his debut for France in 2011. He was part of the squad for UEFA Euro 2012, appearing in all four of France’s matches as they were eliminated in the quarter-finals. He played a bigger role at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, scoring in a 5–2 group stage win over Switzerland. France reached the quarter-finals, where they were knocked out by Germany.
Giroud became a regular starter at UEFA Euro 2016, held in France. He scored three goals, including the opener of the tournament and two in the semi-final against Iceland, helping France reach the final, where they lost 1–0 to Portugal in extra time.
At the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Giroud started every match as France won the tournament, although he didn’t score any goals. Despite that, he contributed through link-up play and off-the-ball work. He remained part of the team at Euro 2020 (held in 2021), but had a limited role as France were eliminated in the round of 16.
Giroud was called up again for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he became France’s all-time top scorer, overtaking Thierry Henry. He scored four goals, including two in the 3–1 win over Poland in the round of 16 and one in the quarter-final win over England. France reached the final but lost to Argentina on penalties after a 3–3 draw.
In 2024, Giroud announced he would retire from international football after Euro 2024, ending a long and successful career with France.
Honours
- Chelsea
- FA Cup: 2017-18
- UEFA Europa League: 2018-19
- UEFA Champions League: 2020-21
