Olivier Giroud's Biggest Problem at LAFC Revealed By Ex-Teammate- 'Didn't Play Bad'

Following the Club World Cup, both the team and the player agreed to terminate his contract as he prepares to return to France, where he’ll join Lille. Olivier Giroud spent a year at the club, and his former teammate Timothy Tillman shared his experience playing alongside the striker.

Giroud, widely known for his ability to score difficult goals and for being one of the last true center-forwards at the top level, spent years in the Premier League with Arsenal and Chelsea, followed by a successful stint at AC Milan.

He also played a key role in France’s 2018 World Cup-winning campaign — starting every match, despite not scoring a single goal. In 2024, he joined his former international teammate Hugo Lloris at LAFC.

The club was coming off a strong run of seasons, led by Carlos Vega in attack. Former stars like Gareth Bale and Giorgio Chiellini — who is now a part-owner of the team — helped LAFC secure a title in 2021.

But Giroud’s time in Los Angeles didn’t go as planned. He scored only five goals in over 35 appearances, failing to meet expectations. He now leaves the club as a free agent.

His former teammate, Timothy Tillman, shared what it was like playing alongside the French striker:

“Not just on the field, but also off the field — I spent a lot of time with him. I had a good time with him every time. He’s been amazing from the very first second — very humble, very smart, and funny. It was just nice to have him around.

I wish him all the best in France. I think our way of playing, our play style, just didn’t suit him as well as it might with other teams. So I’m hoping he’s going to get a couple more goals, because I think that’s the only thing that was missing.

I don’t think he played badly. People tend to reduce him to his goals only, but he still played well. Our playstyle just wasn’t built for him to score 100 goals a season. But I still think he contributed a lot.

He needs to score goals, so I’m hoping he’ll do that in France.” - Said Timoty to CBS Sports