Chelsea, Benzema and the Blues: Olivier Giroud confides in Europe 1

INTERVIEW

An autobiography with a well-chosen name:

.

In his book, published Thursday by Plon editions, Olivier Giroud confides in his faith, which is reflected in his career, marked by hard work and responses to his many detractors.

On Europe 1, Saturday evening, the French international striker addresses the intimate subject of religion, but also other more burning subjects, such as his future in a club, his past in the blue jersey or his relationship with Lyon and Karim Benzema .

On his future at Chelsea

This week there were rumors of Olivier Giroud leaving Juventus Turin after two and a half seasons at Chelsea.

But the Blues striker was keen to provide some clarification on his future: he will remain well in West London this season, which begins Monday with a trip to Brighton.

"I'm good at Chelsea and my family feels good there," said the player at the microphone of Europe 1. "I like the Premier League a lot, I'm a Chelsea player today. I want to win the Premier League with Chelsea. "

Even if, he confides cautiously, "I don't know what will happen during these next days and these next weeks".

On Lyon and Karim Benzema

Could we have seen Olivier Giroud wearing the jersey of Olympique Lyonnais, he who is from the neighboring city of Grenoble?

In his book, the striker reveals that he did not sign for Lyon because it is "the club that gave birth to Karim Benzema".

"I could have taken on without any problem in football and on the pitch, but I would have been blamed if my family had had to undergo some external pressure," said the 33-year-old.

The international tricolor indicates that the president of Lyon, Jean-Michel Aulas, respected this decision, motivated by personal reasons.

And even if the Chelsea player has "no problem with Karim" Benzema, who had tackled him before defending him, "there would have been some malcontents": "Whatever I do, there will always be anti -Giroud. "

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On the difference between Blanc and Deschamps among the Blues

Two "very good coaches", two "very good people", but "two ways of managing which diverge": on Europe 1, Olivier Giroud compares the terms of coach of Laurent Blanc (2010-2012) and Didier Deschamps (started in 2012 ).

And expresses a form of regret vis-à-vis the White method, which he discovered in 2011. "He was someone who gave players a lot of confidence and gave players a lot of freedom on the pitch. Sometimes he could have maybe been a little more strict or harsh. "

But Olivier Giroud also concedes that it was "very hard to pass after Knysna 2010" (the fiasco of the Blues at the World Cup,

) and that this "transition period" partly explains why "the mayonnaise did not taken".

At Euro 2012, "we did not have the group strength that we could have in 2014, 2016 and 2018".

On the game of the France team

Les Bleus and Didier Deschamps are regularly criticized for the aesthetic quality of their game, deemed boring.

But Olivier Giroud, 40 goals in 99 selections, is keen to defend the "DD" method: "You have to put things into perspective and put things in context. The main thing in football is still to win", insists the tricolor scorer.

"In Sweden, we win, against Croatia, we win. We score five goals, we take two. We must not be too choosy."

Progress is nevertheless possible, with a new system in 3-5-2 to tame and a physical condition to find again with the start of the season: "We are capable of better, but it's already good to win when we are not not 100%. "