Giroud secretly dreamed of playing at the Emirates Stadium again

“Secretly, I dreamed of it”: on the eve of returning to Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium in the Champions League, Olivier Giroud said he had long wanted to play there again. Asked about the prospect of coming back, he explained that it was something he had hoped for, particularly as Milan had not qualified for the competition. “I’m very lucky,” he added, describing a dream that had come true. He also expects to have to manage the emotion of the occasion.

The interview also took him back to his arrival at Arsenal: he was asked what he would say today to the 25-year-old he was when he joined the club. As a child, Giroud supported Arsenal’s French players and dreamed of playing in the Premier League one day.

His return to the Emirates comes as he plays for Lille, having said he came back to France to compete in the Champions League again. Asked to picture the ideal script for Tuesday night’s match, he immediately chose a Lille victory. He said the team would approach the game with humility, while also seeking to unsettle Arsenal.

Giroud does not know whether Lille will win the competition. He said, however, that the team would do everything it could to reach the next round and put the club on the European stage. On the eve of his return, the striker is clear about both his long-held dream and the team objective that goes with it.