Saint-Denis (AFP)
Irresistible Olivier Giroud: the French striker celebrated his 100th selection with a fantastic double, Wednesday against Ukraine in Saint-Denis (7-1), to overtake Michel Platini in the history of the France team and prove that 'at 34, he has not finished writing his story in Blue.
The Chelsea striker had said Tuesday: "It would be a great privilege and immense pride to be able to equal the legend of French football" Michel Platini, until then second top scorer of the Blues with 41 units.
Did he imagine overtaking him in a single match, notably with a far strike gem, and with the captain's armband around his arm?
Not sure.
However, this is exactly what happened Wednesday night, in a Stade de France stocked with just a few hundred supporters.
They understood that it was THE evening of the selection's favorite scorer, and it is no coincidence that they cheered his name first when the players arrived on the pitch.
Before singing his praises on his exit (73rd), still blown away by the efficiency of the taulier.
- 20 goals at the Stade de France -
The Chambérien returned it to them, by scoring with a sublime strike with the left foot in the skylight (24th), then by resuming with a plunging header (34th) a shot from Houssem Aouar repelled by the goalkeeper of a Ukrainian selection very badly.
A 41st goal for talent, a 42nd for opportunism, two traits that characterize the tall bearded (1.93 m) rather well since his arrival with the Blues almost nine years ago, in 2011.
For his 100th selection, a remarkable fact for an international player for the first time at 25, Giroud was given the captain's armband by coach Didier Deschamps.
He even kept it when vice-captain Raphaël Varane came into play.
A mark of confidence, of respect also on the part of Deschamps, one of the other seven "centenarians" in the history of the Blues.
And Giroud assumed this responsibility as he always has, by giving the maximum on his favorite lawn - he scored 20 goals in the den of Saint-Denis, as much as the top scorer Thierry Henry - and by making shine the young shoots with whom he was aligned, like Eduardo Camavinga, scorer after a badly rejected header from ... Giroud.
- "Self-sacrifice" -
"I never set any limits for myself. I stayed in this team thanks to my efficiency and what I bring to the team. I'm proud of it all. 100 is a good number," said moreover the former Montpellier this week, insisting on his qualities of "perseverance" and "abnegation".
"A good guy," Platini added this week in an interview with AFP.
Deschamps, for his part, preferred the terms "determination", "envy" and "state of mind", emphasizing the "above-average strength of character" of his star striker, often criticized for his lack of impact in the game of the Blues, often a victim of club competition, but always there to respond on the lawn.
While keeping a watchful eye on his personal statistics, like any self-respecting scorer ...
"He did not get anything for free, it was never easy (...) but he always knew how to build on his strengths", greeted the Basque on Tuesday.
While he was almost buried in a club a year ago, barred by competition, that Deschamps himself was beginning to worry, here is Giroud still more indisputable twelve months later, and poised to play this summer his 5th major international competition at Euro.
By dint of tenure and doubles, can Thierry Henry's record (51 goals) be broken?
"Why not", already replied Deschamps, "from the moment he has matches to play he has the possibility of further increasing this already very high goal counter. He is one of the best".
© 2020 AFP