France international Olivier Giroud explains his decision to leave Chelsea and join AC Milan

France international Olivier Giroud explains his decision to leave Chelsea and join AC Milan. The forward claims that ‘God wanted him to play for Milan’.

The 34-year-old striker joined Milan this summer following his €2 million transfer from Stamford Bridge. Giroud has signed a contract with the Rossoneri that will keep him at San Siro till the end of the 2023 season.

The Frenchman has a proper goal in front of him for the upcoming season and he can be a very pivotal player for Stefano Pioli and his men. The Rossoneri are hoping that Giroud can make a difference for them in both the European and domestic front as they are keen to improve on their previous season.

It will be a big challenge for Giroud as he will look to get accustomed to the pace of the Serie A first. The Frenchman has recently ended a four-year association with Chelsea and now he will have to adapt to a new life in Italy.

The former Chelsea star had a rampant start to his Milan career as he scored in four minutes of his debut in the pre-season friendly against OGC Nice. He scored a poacher’s goal, heading the ball past the goalkeeper from a set piece to restore parity for the Rossoneri.

Giroud was reduced to a bench player last season but he scored some crucial goals and helped the Blues win the Champions League last season. Therefore after joining Milan he said, “I won many trophies at every club I’ve been at and would like to do the same here. I do have an objective in my mind, but I don’t want to reveal it, otherwise, there’d be too much pressure. Let’s just say my final objective is to win with Milan.

“The time had come to leave Chelsea and discover a new league. God wanted me to play for Milan. This is one of the biggest clubs in the world and I really believe in the project here.

“We’ve got what it takes to have a very good Champions League campaign.”

While there are several questions on his age, Giroud feels that age is just a number and he can still deliver important performances for the Italian giants. He also gave the example of teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic who is ageing like a fine wine with every passing season.

“My age means nothing,” he added. “Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a few years older than me, but it’s all about your mentality. With the right motivation, you can still push hard.”