AC Milan produce a ‘Giroud 9’ goalkeeper jersey for fans to buy after Olivier Giroud’s heroics against Genoa – but the shirt is already SOLD OUT
- The former Chelsea star stepped up after Maignan picked up a red card late on
- Head coach Stefano Pioli shared that another player had also offer to go in goal
- Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s podcast ‘It’s All Kicking Off!’
AC Milan have produced goalkeeper jerseys bearing the name of striker Olivier Giroud after the Frenchman’s last-ditch heroics versus Genoa on Saturday.
The Milanese club’s No 1 Mike Maignan picked up a late red card during the San Siro clash for a foul on Caleb Ekuban in stoppage time, after the club had used up all of its substitutions.
Stefano Pioli then tapped the World Cup winner to pull on the gloves, donning Maignan’s distinctive green shirt.
The visitors threatened against 10-man Milan, with Albert Gudmundsson’s freekick nicking the bar, but it was Giroud’s quick-thinking that saw the former Chelsea star block Genoa’s final run at an equaliser.
Giroud dived at a chancing ball from George Puscas, before leaping on top of it to snuff out the scoring opportunity.
Olivier Giroud denied George Puscas to snuff out a late threat from Genoa on Saturday night
AC Milan lauded their striker but first cheekily adding him to their goalkeeping squad on their website – then selling his goalkeeping shirt
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Milan were quick to capitalise on his surprise star turn, listing the player under the ‘goalkeepers’ section in the squad on their website, and allowing fans to buy goalkeeping kit with his name and number.
But shortly after the decision was shared on social media, supporters flocked to snap up the shirts, and they have quickly sold out.
Giroud’s efforts saw Milan hold onto their febrile lead, and took them top of the Serie A table at the end of the matchweek.
The player’s team-mates made him the centre of their raucous celebrations, and after the final whistle, Giroud sounded awestruck at his snap achievement.
‘I’ve never experienced that in my career and I’m proud of the whole team,’ Giroud said. ‘We fought like lions.
‘The final stop? I made a great save at the end. (The stop felt) almost like a goal.
‘I said to myself, “Go, better to go out than stay in goal”. I don’t have the automatisms of a goalkeeper but I felt it that way. Puscas massacred my arm but it’s okay.
The snatched win saw Milan overleap their rivals Inter Milan to go top of Serie A this weekend
Giroud’s former Chelsea team-mate Christian Pulisic scored the tie’s only goal in 87th minute
Manager Stefano Pioli (left) shared that the USMNT captain had also put himself forward
But Giroud’s height saw him edge the winger and pull on the gloves in Mike Maignan’s absence
‘I’m taking this shirt home and framing it.’
The forward’s old Chelsea team-mate Christian Pulisic was responsible for the match’s only goal three minutes before time.
And Pioli revealed that the USMNT captain might have had an even bigger role in the tie, but for Milan’s height restrictions.
‘Pulisic wanted to go in goal but we told him he was too short,’ Pioli shared after the final whistle. ‘So Oli got picked to go in’
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