Biography
Who is Olivier Giroud?
Early life and background
Olivier Giroud Jonathan Giroud was born on September 30, 1986, in Chambéry in the Rhône-Alpes region of France. He grew up in the nearby village of Froges, close to Grenoble. His family background includes partial Italian descent through his grandmothers Yvonne Avogadro and Antonia Gaiatto. During his youth, he played organised football for his hometown club, Olympique Club de Froges, spending six years there before joining professional club Grenoble at the age of 13.
Aside from his early football development, Olivier pursued education alongside his athletic pursuits. He obtained his baccalaureate in economics and social sciences. He later completed a second year of a degree in science and techniques of physical and sports activities at the Joseph Fourier University in Grenoble.
Club career beginnings
Olivier spent five years in Grenoble's youth academy before signing his first professional contract at the age of 21. He played for the club's reserve team in the Championnat de France Amateur 2, scoring 15 goals in 15 matches. His performances earned him a promotion to the senior team in March 2006, where he made his professional debut against Gueugnon. He later spent the 2007–08 season on loan at Istres in the Championnat National, scoring 14 goals during his stint.
Following his return from loan, Olivier was transferred to Tours in 2008. He excelled with the club, winning Ligue 2 Player of the Year in 2010 after finishing as the league's top goalscorer. He then moved to Montpellier for a transfer fee of €2 million, helping them secure their first Ligue 1 title and finishing as the league top goalscorer in 2012.
Career highlights in England and Italy
Olivier joined Arsenal and won three FA Cups, helping end the club's nine-year trophy drought while scoring over 100 goals for the team. In 2018, he transferred to Chelsea for a fee worth £18 million. During his time with Chelsea, he won the FA Cup, the UEFA Champions League, and the UEFA Europa League, finishing as the top scorer in the Europa League in 2019.
In 2021, Olivier signed with AC Milan and helped the team win the 2021–22 Serie A title, which ended an 11-year league drought for the club. He later played for Major League Soccer side Los Angeles FC before returning to France to join Lille in Ligue 1.
International career with France
Olivier made his senior international debut for the France national team in 2011 at the age of 25. He earned 137 caps for his country and appeared in seven major tournaments. He became France's second-highest goalscorer of all time.
He received the Bronze Boot as a joint second-highest goalscorer when France finished as runners-up at UEFA Euro 2016. He later won the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2020-21 UEFA Nations League, and he finished as a runner-up at the 2022 World Cup, where he received another Bronze Boot.
Birthday and age
Olivier Giroud was born on September 30, 1986, which makes Olivier 40 years old today. That birthday falls under the Libra sign. Olivier shares the date with 30 other famous people.
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