FIFA World Cup 2018: I’d be Proud to Show Henry that he Chose the Wrong Side – Olivier Giroud
Jul 9, 2018 at 12:12 PM
France striker Olivier Giroud has admitted he would have preferred legendary striker Thierry Henry to be in Les Bleus’ dugout.
France will face Beglium in the first semi-final of the FIFA World Cup 2018.
The semi-final between France and Belgium will be an awkward day for Thierry Henry. Henry is an assistant coach to Roberto Martinez in Belgium set up and has worked closely with the forward.
The ex-Arsenal attacker’s loyalties will get stretched in the St Petersburg clash. Meanwhile, he is France’s all-time leading scorer with 51 career goals in 123 matches.
France forward, Giroud admits he would instead wish Henry was giving him advice than Romelu Lukaku, who will likely lead the line for France’s opponents on Tuesday’s clash. The Chelsea forward confessed,
“I’d had preferred him to be with us and to be giving his advice to me. He’s a living legend of French football, and we have a lot of respect for him. We have a lot of respect for what he’s done, but we’re not going to think about it very much.”
But he had also confessed there’s nothing to be jealous of.
“I’m not jealous. There’s a lot of mutual respect. I don’t resent him. My job’s to be good on the pitch, to help my team. But I’d be proud to show Titi that he chose the wrong side!”
Meanwhile, Giroud thinks to go to Belgium was a natural step for the France legend.
“He’s there to learn and to develop as a coach. “Maybe one day he will be able to coach that France team. I’m sure he’s learning on a daily basis and giving good advice to the Belgians.”
Giroud has yet to find the net at Russia 2018 but has established himself at the head of a 4-2-3-1 formation. France are aiming to win the World Cup for a second time, 20 years after they lifted the trophy on home soil thanks to a 3-0 win over Brazil in Saint-Denis.