How times change…
Olivier Giroud is a world champion. An impossibly handsome one at that.
The big, gorgeous Chelsea striker started for France in six of their seven World Cup games in Russia this summer, including in the final against Croatia.
Winning the title was understandably a big deal for the 31-year-old, who has since revealed how Mesut Ozil would wind him and his former Arsenal teammates up after winning the 2014 tournament with Germany.
Although he did not score a goal at the tournament, France manager Didier Deschamps placed a lot of faith in the striker and he started six of their seven games.
Giroud told BFM TV:
“I evolved with Germans at Arsenal and I was so jealous of them.
“Sometimes, in the morning, Mesut Ozil lost in training but he said ‘Shhh, Shhh, I’m world champion!’“
The pair spent nearly five years together at The Emirates prior to Giroud’s move to Chelsea in January.
While Giroud and his international colleagues were on their way to glory this summer, Ozil and the German squad were enduring one of their worst ever performances at a major tournament.
Although Toni Kroos’ stoppage time winner against Sweden had seemingly got the Germans out of a hole after their opening game defeat to Mexico, a second loss in their final group game to South Korea saw them fail to reach the knockout stages of the competition.
It was a thoroughly miserable defence of their crown and, according to Ozil’s father, it may yet prove to be the Gunners’ star’s final involvement with his national team.
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