Olivier Giroud: career, salary and achievements

Long criticized, Olivier Giroud has today established himself as a true leader of the French team and yet, destiny did not predict this bright future for him. A look back at the career, salary and main achievements of the top scorer in the history of the Blues.

Who is Olivier Giroud?

A start to a career passed over in silence

Born on September 30, 1986 in Chambéry, Olivier Giroud began playing football in the Froges club, a small town in the Grenoble suburbs, at the age of eight. Five years later, he joined GF38, a flagship club in the city of Grenoble, to complete his training. If the dream of becoming a professional occupies the minds of all young practitioners, young Olivier does not abandon school. In parallel with his sports curriculum, he obtained his ES baccalaureate and continued in STAPS for two years. At the same time, he signed his first professional contract with his training club, but was unable to secure a starting place.

Then aged 21, and after two seasons marked by a glaring lack of playing time, he was loaned to Istres, in the third division. 33 matches and 14 goals later, he left Bouches-du-Rhône for Tours, recently promoted to Ligue 2.

The advent of Olivier Giroud

His Touraine adventure marks the beginning of the advent of Olivier Giroud, since at the age of 23, during his second season in Touraine, he finished top scorer in the championship with 21 goals. He then attracted the attention of the leaders of the Montpellier club and signed for three years. His first season was good, but it was during the second that he revealed himself to Europe. To everyone’s surprise, Montpellier wins the Ligue 1 championship in a fierce battle with Paris Saint-Germain; Olivier Giroud is the centerpiece of the Hérault club and, with 21 goals scored, he finished top scorer in the championship, ahead of Eden Hazard and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

His performances on the French national scene attract the desire of many big European teams, Bayern Munich and Arsenal at the top of the list. The London club wins the lot, Olivier Giroud leaves Montpellier and signs up for 4 years with the Gunners. In the space of four years, the Isère player went from the third French tier to Arsenal, the legendary club in the most popular championship on the planet.

Olivier Giroud would spend six seasons in north London during which he scored 105 goals in 253 appearances and won three FA Cups. His story with Arsenal does not end in the best way; he lost his starting place and wants to find playing time again.

He was then sold to Chelsea for 17 million euros, a club where he won the Europa League, finishing as the competition’s top scorer. Two years later, Chelsea won the Champions League, helped by the performances of their French striker, the club’s top scorer during this European campaign, with 6 goals.

Crowned with his recent success, Giroud leaves England for AC Milan in the summer of 2021. His first season is a success, notably marked by his performance against arch-enemy Inter, during which he scored two goals. It allows the Rossoneri to win the championship, a title which had eluded the club since 2011.

Olivier Giroud and the French team

Olivier Giroud’s career with the French team began in 2011, when he was 25 years old. A relatively late arrival in the Blues, which will not prevent him from performing from his first strides. On February 29, 2012, he scored his first goal against Germany, during his first tenure. Two months later, he was selected for the Euro, during which he received very little playing time.

Long ahead of Karim Benzema in the hierarchy, he maximizes his minutes by being decisive in each of his outings. The quality of his performances allowed him to appear in the lists for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and Euro 2016, during which he moved to the forefront of the Blues’ attack. With three goals and two assists in the competition, France reached the final, unfortunately losing to Portugal.

In 2018, coach Didier Deschamps renewed his confidence in him: France won the World Cup and, even if he did not score, the Chelsea striker proved decisive in the game produced thanks to his qualities of conservation and delivery of the ball with his back to the game.

Four years later, and after an average Euro 2020, Olivier Giroud took the French team to the semi-final of the 2022 World Cup, scoring four times, including the winning goal against England in 1/ 4 finals. During the competition, he also became the top scorer in the history of the Blues, with 53 goals, relegating Thiery Henry to second place.

Olivier Giroud’s salary

Olivier Giroud signed a one-year contract when he arrived at AC Milan, for 3.5 million euros, an amount halved compared to the annual sums received during his time at Chelsea. Performing well since its arrival in Lombardy, the French attack should extend his adventure in Italy.

Olivier Giroud’s salary does not only consist of 3.5 million euros per year. In addition to the remuneration granted by his club, Olivier Giroud is an athlete sponsored by Puma, a partnership started almost 13 years ago, thanks to which he would have received several million euros.

Concerned about the appearance he gives off, the AC Milan number 9 is also a partner with Hugo Boss Parfums and Beardilizer, a brand offering men’s beard care products.

The fortune of Olivier Giroud

Olivier Giroud owns several homes in Europe, including a house in London. A fan of beautiful cars, he has several luxury models, including a Bentley and a Mercedes C63 AMG. In total, his personal fortune is estimated at several tens of millions of euros.

He is also the sponsor of several charitable works: the ELA (European Association against Leukodystrophies, Monaco Collectif Humanitaire and Sloid’Art.