Olivier Giroud has wished Mikel Arteta a long career at Arsenal, praising the manager’s efforts with the Gunners.
LONDON, ENGLAND: Olivier Giroud of Arsenal is closed down by Jan Vertonghen (L) and Benoit Assou-Ekotto (R) of Spurs during the Barclays Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal FC at White Hart Lane on March 3, 2013. (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)
After a long career in Europe, 37-year-old former Gunner Olivier Giroud has completed a transfer to Los Angeles FC in the MLS this summer.
Reflecting on his Arsenal spell in a press conference with his new club this week, Giroud wished the Gunners and manager Mikel Arteta the best.
“I’m very happy for them because Arteta is doing a great job,” Giroud said. “He had the time to build and to set up his ideas. He is a great manager, I think.
“Hopefully, he will stay as many years as Arsene [Wenger] stayed! I wish them the best.”
LONDON, ENGLAND: Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, applauds the fans following the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Everton FC at Emirates Stadium on May 19, 2024. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Giroud and Arteta played alongside each other on the pitch many times, racking up 95 appearances together at Arsenal, so there’s a personal connection there too.
Two of Giroud’s three FA Cups at Arsenal and two of his three Community Shields came with Arteta as his captain, though he was later denied another FA Cup medal with Chelsea in 2020 by Arteta’s Arsenal.
The Arsenal fans’ relationship with Giroud has sometimes been a bit rocky, particularly after Chelsea’s Europa League win over the Gunners.
It seems he’s trying to build some bridges to his former supporters now that he’s left European football.
Olivier Giroud, Theo Walcott, and Mathieu Flamini attend an Arsenal game at the Emirates Stadium in February 2024
Giroud has signed a one-and-a-half-year deal with LAFC, with an option for another. The MLS season runs on a calendar-year basis, so the French striker could remain with his new club until the end of 2026.
