French striker Giroud has decided to continue his international career for the time being. Despite his age of 36, the Frenchman does not think it is time to end his career with the national team. After the lost World Cup final, there is still enough to win, thinks the AC Milan striker.
“No, it’s not over yet,” Giroud said on French television about his near future. The 2018 world champion is far from finished, he thinks. “I’m not ready to put the shirt in the closet and put it away. I hope more international matches will follow.’
Since the World Cup, Giroud has been the all-time top scorer for the French team. He made his last and 53rd goal in the global final tournament. This is not the time to stop. “I still have the motivation to keep going. And physically I feel good too. For the time being I can be selected for the national coach.’
After the World Cup, captain Hugo Lloris announced the end of his international career, followed by Raphaël Varane, Karim Benzema and Steve Mandanda. But the final did not make that choice for Giroud. As a result, he seems to be present at the qualifying match with the Dutch national team for the European Championship in 2024. On March 24, the Orange will visit France.
Christophe Galtier’s injury update
Sticking with French football, Christophe Galtier has given clarity on Monday about Kylian Mbappé’s employability in the Champions League match with Bayern Munich. The goalgetter returns to the match selection after recovering from an injury. The French coach is counting on his star attacker, but is cautious in the first leg of the eighth finals.
“I am surprised by Mbappé’s quick return,” Galtier told a press conference in Paris. ”We know that Kylian has the ability to recover faster than others. He did everything he could to be available for this match. He has just completed full training with the group. And the response to his body was good too.”
Whether Galtier will start with Mbappé, he does not yet know. “We’ll see how he feels in the morning. I will make the wisest decision. The first person I listen to is Kylian herself. But if he’s on the scoresheet, it’s to play and not to frighten Bayern Munich,” he mentioned.
