Sports
Olivier Giroud Names His All-Time Greatest Teammates 11
He’s often played in teams where other individuals have stolen the limelight. But Olivier Giroud has been an underrated cog for many top sides and his country.
After starting his career at Grenoble, the French international has gone on to represent the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and AC Milan. A World Cup and Champions League winner, he has also racked up goals for Les Bleus, striking 57 times in 137 games to become their all-time top goalscorer.
A lethal finisher with both his feet and head, Giroud has played with numerous top talents over the years. And on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, where he joined as a guest pundit for Manchester United 4-4 Bournemouth, he was asked to name the best teammates he lined up alongside over the course of his footballing career — and there were some big omissions.
Kevin De Bruyne Named Chelsea and Man City Icons in His Greatest Teammates 11
Snubbing the likes of Rodri, Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan, De Bruyne named his greatest XI of teammates.
Goalkeeper and Defence
Between the sticks, Giroud chose to snub Premier League goalkeeping great Petr Cech for another shot-stopper who he faced and played alongside on multiple occasions. Hugo Lloris might not have always been the most consistent, but the French international has managed to lead France to a World Cup in 2018, making him an easy inclusion in the XI.
Deploying a back three means that full-backs such as Hector Bellerin and Cesar Azpilicueta miss out, but there was space for two former Chelsea players. Thiago Silva and Antonio Rudiger were a key part of the Blues’ run to a second Champions League final in 2020/21 under Thomas Tuchel, providing aggression and poise which was the bedrock of that success.
The final centre-back, though, went to another player in that famous World Cup-winning squad in the shape of Raphael Varane. Also a key part of Real Madrid’s dominance on the European stage over the years, Giroud recanted how he played against the former Manchester United defender while still at Montpellier, with him enduring a tough night.
“I remember he played his first Ligue 1 game for Lens against Montpellier. He was 17 and I didn’t touch the ball all game!”
Midfield
In front of a backline that combines technical ability, defensive intelligence and no-nonsense defending sits a man who is widely regarded to be one of the finest midfielders to touch a pitch. N’Golo Kante never gave you a moment to rest, harassing players constantly and winning the ball back effortlessly. While typically deployed alongside another player in the engine room throughout his career, Giroud selected him as the lone pivot in the team, simply because he could do it all.
Franck Ribery is selected for the position on the right flank, despite the pair only lining up alongside one another on 24 occasions for France. The former Bayern Munich man, renowned for his incredible dribbling and electric pace, combined with Giroud for three international goals against Iceland, Spain and Australia, with the striker hailing him as “one of the best players he played with” in the national setup.
On the opposite flank, though, sits Antoine Griezmann. While capable of playing off the left, he is more renowned for his quality through the middle of the pitch, but Giroud simply had to find a way to get him into the line-up.
“He’s the one who can sacrifice himself for the team as I said before. He’s a team player – even at Atletico you can see him doing crazy recoveries on the side.”
The heart of the pitch, though, is dominated by former Arsenal magicians. Santi Cazorla is the first name to be included by his former teammate thanks to his wonderful passing and technique. And taking the other spot is Mesut Ozil, who assisted Giroud more than anybody else during his career (22). The German could conjure something out of nothing and was loved by the Emirates faithful in his seven-year stint in north London. But with both midfielders renowned for their attacking abilities, rather than their defensive contributions, Kante would have to work tirelessly behind him in this setup.
Forwards
Fans might have expected Giroud to include the two former teammates of his who won the Ballon d’Or – Karim Benzema and, more recently, Ousmane Dembele. But neither man was afforded a place in the XI despite their individual achievements.
Instead, Kylian Mbappe was asked to be one of two players to lead the line. There can be very few complaints over his inclusion, considering he managed to score four goals for France at the 2018 World Cup and dragged them to success as a prolific young teenager. Since then, he’s gone on to establish himself as one of the best players in the world.
But Giroud’s final player was someone who very rarely led the line as a centre-forward. Eden Hazard typically cut in off the left while at Chelsea before curling an effort in with his right foot, but it’s hard to argue too much against his appearance in this team, considering that his legacy makes him an all-time Premier League great. When playing alongside Giroud, the target-man’s presence often allowed the Belgian to thrive as he dragged defenders with him, although the pair would only combine for six goals while together at Stamford Bridge.
