MILAN – Veteran France striker Olivier Giroud has left Champions League winner Chelsea to join seven-time European Cup winner AC Milan.
The Italian giant said in a statement that Giroud will wear the No. 9 shirt. “AC Milan is delighted to announce the signing of Olivier Giroud on a permanent transfer from Chelsea FC,” Milan said.
The 34-year-old Giroud has spent the past nine years in English soccer, where he scored 105 goals for Arsenal and 39 for Chelsea.
He is also France’s second-highest scorer with 46 goals, five fewer than former Arsenal star Thierry Henry.
His crucial goals late in the 2019-20 season helped Chelsea qualify for last season’s Champions League, and his six goals in the competition helped the London club win it for the second time.
Giroud was also the Europa League’s top scorer when Chelsea won it in 2019, when he scored the opening goal in the final against Arsenal, and won the FA Cup a year earlier.
“To all the Blues, to my teammates, to all my coaches, to the whole club, a huge thank you for these special moments,” Giroud wrote on Twitter according to AP.
“I´m starting a new journey with a light and happy heart. Our victories in FA Cup, Europa League and Champions league have been magnificent,” Giroud added.
Giroud also won the World Cup with France in 2018 and will form a veteran strike force with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who turns 40 in October.
Giroud also won the FA Cup three times with Arsenal and the French title with Montpellier in 2012.
Milan has not won Serie A since clinching its 18th title in 2011 and finished second last season, 12 points behind city rival Inter Milan.
Elsewhere, Serie A club Spezia was handed a two-year transfer ban for breaching FIFA rules by bringing underage Nigerian players to Italy.
The US-owned outfit will not be allowed to sign new players for four transfer windows starting from next January 2022, along with two northern amateur sides.
They must also pay a fine of 500 000 Swiss francs ($544 000, 460 000 euro), the world football’s governing body said.
The same sanctions were also imposed on Lavagnese and Valdivara Terre, “two clubs having played an active role in the aforementioned scheme,” FIFA said according to AFP.
Spezia won promotion to the Italian top-flight for the first time in 2020 before finishing 15th last season.
The club said they would appeal “an extremely harsh sanction,” pointing out “the alleged irregularities occurred in the period between 2013 and 2018, therefore under the previous administration of the club.”
American businessman Robert Platek bought the club last February and former Italy midfielder Thiago Motta was appointed coach this month.
“We are surprised by FIFA’s decision to impose this heavy transfer ban on our club,” said Platek.
“The new ownership has played no role in the alleged transgressions charged to Spezia Calcio and strongly condemns any system which includes the illegal transfer of minors.
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