“But he said in an interview with the French newspaper Le Figaro that the experiences of the former Aston Villa player Thomas Hitzlsperger – who came out in 2014 – showed that football has yet to come to terms with the modern world.
“It was very emotional,” he said of Hitzlsperger. “This is when I told myself that it was impossible to display his homosexuality in football. In a changing room, there is a lot of testosterone, rooming together, collective showers … It’s tricky but it’s like that.
“I understand the pain and the difficulty of guys coming out; it’s a real test after working on oneself for years. I am ultra-tolerant on it – when I was in Montpellier I was engaged in this fight by posing for [the magazine] Têtu. At Arsenal when they asked me to wear the ‘Rainbow Laces’ in support of the gay community, I did it. There is still a lot of work in the football world on this subject, to say the least.”
Arsenal made a post for Olivier’s birthday on Instagram and Facebook
Olivier Giroud of France poses with the Champions World Cup trophy after the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Final between France and Croatia at Luzhniki Stadium on July 15, 2018 in Moscow, Russia.
Olivier Giroud of France poses with the Champions World Cup trophy after the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Final between France and Croatia at Luzhniki Stadium on July 15, 2018 in Moscow, Russia.