Giroud extends Milan deal to 2024 after Champions League heroics

Olivier Giroud signed a one-year extension until 2024 with AC Milan yesterday, the day after scoring the goal which sent his team through to the Champions League semi-finals. “AC Milan is proud to announce that Olivier Giroud has renewed his contract with the club,” Milan said in a short statement.
The Italian champions confirmed that the veteran France striker’s new deal expires at the end of next season. Giroud netted in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at Napoli which gave Milan a 2-1 aggregate win in their all-Italian Champions League quarter-final.
“I’m very proud, very happy... the perfect way to celebrate last night,” Giroud said shortly after the announcement. Giroud, who is France’s all-time leading goalscorer, has netted 27 times for Milan since arriving from Chelsea at the start of last season. The 36-year-old was crucial to Milan winning their first Serie A title in 11 years in May, and has scored a series of important goals for the club. Milan currently sit fourth in Serie A, 22 points behind this campaign’s runaway league leaders Napoli. Milan are in the last four of the Champions League for the first time since they were last crowned kings of Europe in 2007. They have overcome a post-World Cup slump in recent weeks and Tuesday’s performance was another statement display which gives them hope of reaching the final.
“This gives us real faith in ourselves. We already had belief but getting past Napoli and Tottenham will help us grow,” said coach Stefano Pioli. “These are experiences which give you the strength and ability to manage a certain type of pressure. For many of us it was the first time that we were playing such an important match...It’s another big step forward.”
Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti lamented that his team weren’t given a penalty for Rafael Leao’s tackle on Hirving Lozano six minutes before the Portugal winger sped up the pitch to lay on Giroud’s goal which would decide the tie. Neither referee Szymon Marciniak nor the VAR officials saw anything wrong with Leao’s challenge, but Spalletti was angry at his team not getting a spot-kick while they were only a goal behind.