Olivier Giroud said goodbye to AC Milan in a low-key manner as they were defeated 5-2 by AS Roma in an entertaining post-season friendly in Perth. The game took place just days after the Serie A season ended, with Roma coming out on top in front of a crowd of 56,522 at Optus Stadium. Despite his farewell game not going as hoped, Giroud’s impact on the team and his younger teammates was evident.
Giroud, who is 37 years old and a veteran striker of the French national team, is leaving Europe to play for Los Angeles FC next season. In his final league game for Milan against Salernitana, he scored a goal and almost found the net again in the match against Roma, hitting the post in the 30th minute before being substituted at half-time.
Noah Okafor shared his respect for the legendary striker and spoke about how much he learned from him during their time together at Milan. “Olivier is one of the best strikers I have ever played with,” said Okafor. “He has so much experience and knowledge to share, and he always encouraged me to be my best self.”
Roma midfielder Tommaso Baldanzi opened the scoring in the 27th minute, with Theo Hernandez equalizing for Milan just ten minutes later. Tammy Abraham put Roma back in the lead before half-time, and the second half saw more goals from Angelino, Okafor, Paulo Dybala, and Sardar Azmoun. The game was the only one played during the teams’ tour in Perth, with both sides departing shortly after the match concluded.
