‘I flew 20 hours in a month’: Olivier Giroud on adjusting to life in MLS | Los Angeles FC

It was only in three league games for his new club that Olivier Giroud showed that his influence extends beyond his attacking qualities.

While celebrating LAFC’s opening goal in a derby against the LA Galaxy, Giroud broke away from the festivities and went straight to the young midfielder who had played a role in the buildup. As his teammates tell it, that kind of leadership is already par for the course for a player who officially swapped Milan for Los Angeles two months ago.

“What a great addition he is to the locker room,” said LAFC defender Aaron Long. “The way he takes care of his body, the way he approaches practice, approaches games, talks to his teammates in practice, the way he coaches guys and sees things he sees tactically, asks questions on video sessions.”

LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo appreciates what he calls Giroud’s “soft skills in and around the locker room, around the training facility, talking to younger players.” It’s the kind of thing you might not expect if you only see him play on TV.

Those qualities are key as Giroud tries to bond with his team-mates and battles persistent knee pain as he adapts to a new club, league and culture.

All three will be put to the test on Wednesday night, when Giroud’s LAFC hosts Sporting Kansas City in the final of the US Open Cup, the oldest continuous soccer competition in the United States. There have been some early frustrations since his midseason move, but the hallmarks of what made Giroud such a potent force in Europe are still evident.

“What makes Olivier different is his physicality, his presence, his size,” said John Thorrington, LAFC general manager and co-president. “I think what’s unique and what’s enduring is his ability to not only score goals, but to connect and create goals. That was a unique combination of skills. Most forwards have one or the other. We found a rare package that would fit us very well.”

Giroud, who turns 38 on September 30, arrives in MLS with a resume that includes stints at Arsenal, Chelsea and Milan. He is also France’s all-time leading scorer with 57 goals and helped his country win the 2018 World Cup. Giroud’s clubs have also won four FA Cups, one championship apiece in Ligue 1 and Serie A, and the 2020-21 Champions League.

But after 20 seasons in Europe, Giroud wanted to end his career in Los Angeles. He signed a contract that runs until 2026 and joins goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, his good friend and former teammate in France, in Los Angeles.

“There’s so much different here, but I love the lifestyle,” Giroud said. “My kids have the opportunity to play soccer and go swimming after school. I’m lucky enough to have a pool at home and I’ve set up some goals so they can play soccer. They’re really enjoying their lives and so am I. I’m very social. I like meeting people. I already have a few friends who live in LA, so the adjustment has been pretty quick. Plus I have a few ‘Frenchies,’ a few guys who speak French.”

Giroud has received positive reviews about the MLS from Zlatan Ibrahimović, his former Milan teammate who scored 52 goals in two seasons for the Galaxy and hails from “the wrong side of LA,” as Giroud teased in reference to the cross-city rivalry.

“When I told him I wanted to play for LAFC,” Giroud said, “he told me, ‘You’ll enjoy it in MLS.’ It’s a good championship for strikers because sometimes there are more open spaces and you have more chances to score. He was happy for me because he really enjoyed his years in MLS.”

Ibrahimović’s rating reflects the league’s more energetic, attacking approach.

“To be honest, I’m impressed by the intensity of the game,” Giroud said. “There’s a tactical difference with Europe, because the teams play to score goals. There’s really that urge to always go forward and score goals. That’s nice for the strikers and for the fans. And there’s quality. There are great players.”

But travel challenges that intensity. When Giroud played in Europe, he rarely had to leave a time zone. MLS, however, spans four time zones, covering a footprint that stretches from Los Angeles to Montreal to Miami to Vancouver.

“Traveling is huge,” Giroud said. “In Europe, if you travel for example in the Champions League, the longest flight would be an hour and a half or two hours – apart from playing in Baku for the Europa League final. Here I have already flown 20 hours in a month. So it is important to be even more professional in your recovery, sleep well, eat well and have the treatments you need to get fit.”

Since arriving from Milan, Giroud has struggled to regain full fitness. In his nine games with LAFC, including four in a midseason competition against clubs from Mexico’s Liga MX, the veteran has played 90 minutes just once and scored just one goal. That goal came in the Leagues Cup final, which LAFC lost 3-1 to Columbus Crew. But during that game, Giroud suffered a minor knee injury that kept him out of an MLS match three nights later in Seattle.

Managing that injury, however, has hampered Giroud’s attempts to build chemistry on the pitch. Before Giroud arrived, Poland international Mateusz Bogusz played as a striker, with Uruguayan international Cristian Olivera on Bogusz’s right and Gabon’s Denis Bouanga – who won the MLS Golden Boot last year – on the left. When Giroud arrived as the new striker, Bogusz moved to Giroud’s right. The new trio has scored two goals together in MLS, but are still working on figuring out how to make the puzzle fit.

“There was so much exchange when Matty Bogusz was up there playing in the back nine — the understanding of the freedom of movement in the space that’s created and pushing through, underlapping, overlapping, switching places,” said TV commentator Brian Dunseth, a former MLS defender. “Now it’s a little bit different. There are more recognizable roles, with the need to be in certain spaces with Olivier Giroud playing in that back nine.”

Despite some teething problems, France’s all-time leading scorer has had chances to score his first MLS goal. Against the Galaxy, Giroud hit the post. Frustration, however, has not dampened Giroud’s temperament.

“We love his personality,” Long said. “He brings a lot of energy. He brings a lot of fire, not just in the locker room, but in practice and in games. He’s a guy we can really look to. He’s very involved.”

Bogusz points to Giroud’s openness.

“From the first day he was very open with me and asked me a lot of questions,” Bogusz said. “Me too. I asked him a lot of questions. He can always talk to you. He can joke. He always gives a little tip on the pitch. He will tell you what was good and what was bad. He is a very good teammate.”

No team-mate believes it as strongly as Lloris, who points to Giroud’s willingness to ignore criticism.

“There were many question marks in his career, but he always proved others wrong,” Lloris said. “Sometimes he scored important goals even in the national team when people started to lose a little bit of confidence in him. He has a great mentality. He is always ready to fight. He loves the competition. He is a great example for young players.”

Lloris also believes that Giroud will ultimately find success in LA.

“A career is never a straight line,” Lloris said. “It doesn’t matter what your level is, what your experience is, what’s on your CV. You always have to adapt to a new environment. Sometimes you encounter difficulties and it’s hard to get back to the top. I’ve seen many players give up. But what Olivier has shown throughout his career is that he can always bounce back, and that’s great. I’m thrilled to have him here.”