Olivier Giroud: Even best players get social-media abuse — mental strength is vital

Olivier Giroud reached the top of the football world this summer and now takes some beating when talk among Chelsea's stars turns to winning the game's biggest trophies.

Giroud has also lifted four FA Cups with Arsenal and the Blues, a French title with Montpellier and scored over 200 goals for club and country leaving winning the Premier League as his “last dream.”

And the biggest attribute the World Cup winner has needed to achieve all he has in his career so far?

“For me, mental strength is at least 70, 80 per cent of a sportsman's quality,” Giroud insisted. “If you don't have it, you cannot be successful. It's massive nowadays, that's why I would advise some clubs to work on this as well.”

Giroud's views made him an ideal Blues star to support the Chelsea Foundation's 'Chelsea Champions' initiative at Stamford Bridge this week, which focused on mental health and the pressures of social media.

The striker was joined by teammate Rob Green and members of Chelsea's academy as students from five local schools discussed links between the two topics as well as social isolation at Christmas.

He said: “I was very surprised – in a nice way – that Chelsea are doing that. It's the first time I've seen it.”

Giroud, an infrequent social media user, added: ”You can read so many bad things, even about the best players of the world. I always thought it was very frustrating. It cannot help you and your mental health.”

The 32-year-old hasn't needed to be a regular scanner of the likes of Twitter and Facebook to have his resilience tested and prove, in response, that he has plenty of it.

He described being painted as the bad guy when Karim Benzema's blackmail case led to his exclusion from the France set-up ahead of Euro 2016 as the toughest time of his career mentally.

Giroud replaced Benzema as France's main striker and scored in a pre-tournament friendly against Cameroon but was booed off when substituted.

“Not because of my contribution on the pitch, not my performance, but because I was there and not Benzema,” he said. “It was very difficult sometimes for me, my family.”

The following day, Giroud's picture was plastered on the front of leading French newspaper L'Equipe under the headline 'Le Mal Aime' (the unloved), which is also the title of a song by the late French artist Claude Francois.

“The day after it was funny because we were singing that with the boys on the coach,” Giroud said, breaking out into the song. “After that, a great Euros came — scored three goals, two or three assists.”

But Giroud's failure to score last summer in Russia left him open to more criticism, despite his considerable contribution to France's World Cup triumph as the focal point of their attack.

“As a striker it is frustrating, I have to be honest,” Giroud sighed. “But if you ask Harry Kane if he would give the six goals he scored for the World Cup he would say, 'Oh yeah, take the Golden Boot too!'

“It will be always a small pinch in my heart [that I didn't score], but I know the contribution.

“Belgium [in the semi-finals] was the first game I was defending so much in my life. I was playing No.6. I remember a tackle on Eden [Hazard, his Chelsea team-mate] in the last five minutes. He was asking for the foul. Maybe it was, but I was there to stop him because you don't know what can happen with him.

“I have done my part and everybody in the street crosses me and tells me the same.

“You always have haters who say 'Ah, you didn't score', but I know how many I have scored for the French team so I hope I will pass David Trezeguet [on 34] and get in the top three.

“Winning the World Cup was a childhood dream. [Chelsea's Real Madrid loanee] Mateo Kovacic said he won three Champions Leagues but there is nothing above the World Cup.

"I was talking with Eden, Rudi [Antonio Rudiger], Kovacic... just about winning trophies. Rudi used to tease me about the World Cup, saying, 'Anyway, you won the World Cup, so you don't care any more' — in a joking way. But I felt I didn't really have the time to think about it — when you win the World up, you should have festivities for weeks. I only had 19 days of proper holiday, and it went so quickly."

Recalling the celebrations France DID squeeze in, Giroud said: "We won the World Cup and then, afterwards, we went back to our base and celebrated with the families and players, but it was a bit 'soft.' We didn't go crazy or anything.

“I have a very nice book with nice pictures. Maybe today [Tuesday] I was going to receive the replica of the World Cup. I have a nice framed photo of myself and my daughter kissing the trophy. It's in my flat and will be with me forever.

“I realise that I was doing the best job ever when I went on the Champs Elysees with so many people out lining the way.There was a flyover by jets with the red, white and blue smoke, and at the right time I took the video and had the World Cup in the hands, lifting it up to people... I put that straight on my computer at home.

“Amazing memories. A great year for me. I feel blessed.

“I really want to carry on my story with Chelsea.”

When he returned to Chelsea, it was back to a familiar test for Giroud - to prove he should be his team's No1 striker.

That same challenge he faced at Arsenal and with France he now has at Chelsea in competition with Alvaro Morata for a place in Maurizio Sarri's team.

Mentally, that seemingly never-ending battle may tire some, but Giroud said: “In France, people who know me very well say I've always had to fight for my place and I needed it [competition]. I prefer to be like that and in a big club instead of being less ambitious and playing every single week in the starting XI but maybe in a less prestigious team.

“I've always had to work more and show more maybe, because I am not going to dribble three players do a nutmeg and put it in the top corner... Actually I have done it, in the FA Cup semi final against Southampton! No, I'm not that kind of player. Like Mbappe. But each player has his qualities and I'll always fight for my place and it is like that I was successful.”

And he will keep fighting until that success includes a Premier League title.

“It is maybe my last dream as a football player,” he said. “Maybe more than Champions League – honestly! - because I know how tough it is to win this league. And some of the Chelsea players have won it too, so I'm a bit jealous!

“We are seven, eight points from Manchester City and Liverpool and there are a lot of games to play, so don't count on me to give up. We will believe and keep the faith.”

* Olivier Giroud was speaking at a Chelsea FC Foundation event aimed at enhancing and developing emotional wellbeing, resilience and coping mechanisms of students in five secondary schools .