At the Emirates Stadium, Olivier Giroud is preparing for a return loaded with memory but focused on Lille’s task. The 40-year-old striker will face former club Arsenal in the second matchday of the Champions League league phase, potentially one of the final visits of his long career to the London ground.
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Giroud spent five and a half years with Arsenal after arriving in 2012, and remained with the Gunners until 2018. His time in north London brought trophies, a famous scorpion-kick goal and a lasting connection with supporters.
The Lille forward said he had privately hoped to play again at the Emirates before ending his career, particularly because AC Milan had not qualified for the Champions League. His move back to France has given him that opportunity.
“It was something I wanted,” Giroud said. “I had secretly dreamed of coming back to play at the Emirates and I feel very fortunate.”
As a child, he followed Arsenal’s French contingent and imagined himself playing in the Premier League. He described his spell under Arsène Wenger as an exceptional chance to develop, both as a player and as a man.
If he could offer advice to the 25-year-old who arrived at Arsenal, Giroud said it would be simple: “Take your chance, go all in and enjoy it.”
He recalled the welcome he received from the Arsenal crowd, including the song supporters created for him, and said it made him feel part of the club’s family from the beginning. Wenger, staff members, teammates and fans all remain among the strongest memories of that period.
Giroud’s motivation at 40 is still rooted in competition and in the daily pleasure of football. He also wants to pass on what the game has taught him, not as another coach but as an experienced elder brother within the squad.
“I came back to France and Lille because I am a competitor and I wanted to play in the Champions League again,” he said. “I do not know whether we will win it, but we will do everything possible to reach the next round and put Lille on the European stage.”
The next appointment in France
Lille travel to Arsenal on Tuesday evening with Giroud insisting that sentiment must not overwhelm the occasion. Asked to imagine the ideal script for his return, he chose a Lille victory without hesitation.
“There will be emotion to handle because of the attention around my return, but I am a team player,” he said. “The most important thing is to win.”
Giroud would not put a percentage on Lille’s chances, but believes the Ligue 1 side belong in the contest. He said the visitors will arrive with humility, ambition and the intention to unsettle Arsenal.
For Lille to leave London with a result, he warned, LOSC will need to deliver their best performance.
