we had fantastic team cohesion and
showed our quality. I could never have
imagined something like it even when
I was 25 and starting out in the France
national team, so I feel very blessed.
[FFT: How important has coach Didier
Deschamps been to your success?] He
has brought me confidence, which I’ve
tried to give him back on the pitch. For
a long time I was the player he used
the most, I believe, so I owe him a lot.
He has always supported me and I’ve
tried to repay him in my performances.
We’ve had a very good relationship.
What’s the achievement in football
that you’re most proud of?
Abu Dakar, via Facebook
I’d have to say winning the World Cup,
but also winning the Puskas Award in
2017 for my scorpion kick goal against
Crystal Palace. I’ve seen a funny video
from a guy who says when my kids are
older, they’ll watch my goals and think
I was as good as Pele! [Laughs] On top
of that, I think it’s the mark you leave
at a football club; when the supporters
remember you as a good player and
a good person. [FFT: Do you have a big
mantelpiece with all your medals on?]
[Laughs] I haven’t actually dedicated
a room for them yet. That’ll wait until
the end of my career, when I’m settled
somewhere. But for sure, I will create
a special place for them.How do you look back on your time at
Chelsea? Are you satisfied with what
you did there?
Greg Hughes, Staines
I couldn’t have hoped for much better
in three and a half years – OK, losinga few finals, but winning an FA Cup,
the Europa League as top scorer and
then the Champions League. One of
my regrets is that I didn’t play much in
the last three months, which was a bit
frustrating to be honest, but what can
I say? At the end of the day, the team
was competitive and we all achieved
that amazing Champions League win
together in Porto. I felt nostalgic when
I left there, like at Arsenal – I had no
chance to say a proper goodbye, but it
was time for a new challenge.How did you feel after winning the
Champions League with Chelsea? Is
it different when you don’t get on
the pitch in a game such as that?
Mohammad Syafiq, via Instagram
Yeah, definitely – I’d be a liar if I told
you that it’s the same as if you were
involved on the pitch. It was different
to when I won the World Cup, or the
Europa League, or the FA Cups I won
at Arsenal, but it’s a team sport and
a team effort. I did contribute strongly
to that success – I was Chelsea’s topscorer in the tournament – so I still felt
satisfaction. [FFT: You scored four goals
in one match at Sevilla – had you ever
done that before?] Yes, in the second
division with Tours. It was quite special
then, but scoring four in a Champions
League game against a top team such
as Sevilla, when my name was the only
one on the scoresheet, was incredible.What went wrong for France at Euro
2020? You were tipped to triumph...
Cole Williams, Cardiff
[Puffs out cheeks] It’s a bit difficult, you
know? In football, in sport, in life, there
is one thing that’s important: nothing
is written in advance. Even if you have
the strongest team on paper, you can
always be surprised. That’s the beauty
of our game: you just can’t tell for sure
what is going to happen. We were so
close to beating Switzerland in the last
16, but that was a crazy game – in 10
minutes, everything changed. I think
if we had played it 10 more times that
wouldn’t happen again, but it shows
you have to keep going until the final
minute. [FFT: Was it the most exciting
game you’ve played in?] We definitely
went on an emotional ride. We were
winning 3-1 until Switzerland fought
back with two late goals. There was so
much adrenaline and many different
feelings, then losing on penalties was
hard. I remember the 2018 World Cup
Final against Croatia a lot better – or
Argentina in the last 16 when we won
4-3! I preferred those endings. [Laughs]How is life in Milan, and your playing
relationship with Zlatan Ibrahimovic?
@Farinho_10, via Twitter
My family has settled well in Italy and
I’ve received a nice, warm welcome at
the club. I feel very good, but I caught
COVID early on and had a back injury.
With Zlatan? The problem is that he’s
also been struggling a bit with injuries!
I hope we’ll play together many times
this season, so we have a nice forward
line. We have a talented young team
with loads of energy and much quality.Why did you take on Milan’s ‘cursed’
No.9 jersey? And what ambitions do
you have at San Siro?
@MilanWhatNow, via Twitter
I want to win the Scudetto, definitely.
I knew about the No.9 shirt but I’m not
superstitious – I’m Christian, so there’s
no room for superstitions. No matter
what number I’m wearing, my mindset
is the most important thing whenever
I step out onto the pitch. I’ve got no
doubts about that and my capacity to
break this ‘curse’.‘Always Believe’ by Olivier Giroud is out
now via Pitch Publishing, priced £19.YOU ASK
“IF YOU’D TOLD ME 15
YEARS AGO I’D BECOME
FRAnCE’S SECOnD-TOP
SCORER, I WOULDn’T
HAVE BELIEVED YOU”
FourFourTwo December 2021 11