Euro 2024: Why is Olivier Giroud not starting in Portugal vs France?
The 37-year-old has 57 goals for France in 136 appearances and has led the line in its 2018 World Cup-winning campaign.
Published : Jul 06, 2024 01:14 IST , CHENNAI - 1 MIN READ
France’s forward Olivier Giroud. | Photo Credit: AFP
France’s record goalscorer, Olivier Giroud is not in the starting lineup for the Les Blues in its Euro 2024 quarterfinal clash against Portugal being played at the Volsparkstadion Hamburg on Friday.
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The 37-year-old has 57 goals for France in 136 appearances and has led the line in its 2018 World Cup-winning campaign. However, Didier Deschamps hasn’t handed him a start in the ongoing European Championship.
However, the outgoing AC Milan player came on a substitute in all the three matches in group stage.
His omission from the starting lineup is related to his age and Deschamps’ tactical setup, where he prefers quicker players up front. Apart from Kylian Mbappe, Randal Kolo Muani has also started as the striker for France.
France’s much-vaunted attack is suffering from a crisis of confidence and coach Deschamps, usually a steady hand guiding the squad, looks unsure of what his next move will be.