Okay, let me tell you about this little project I got myself into recently, all revolving around that Giroud goalkeeper jersey thing.
The Spark
So, remember that crazy match? AC Milan against Genoa. Maignan gets sent off right at the end, and who steps up to go between the posts? Olivier Giroud! An actual striker. Honestly, watching him pull on that keeper jersey and make that crucial save in the dying minutes was something else. It wasn’t just funny; it showed real guts, proper team spirit. That image just stuck in my head.
The Hunt Begins
A few days later, I started thinking, “You know what? I’d love a jersey like that.” Not just any Milan jersey, but specifically a goalkeeper one with ‘Giroud’ and maybe his number 9 on the back. Something to remember that wild moment. Seemed like a cool, unique piece to have.
So, I did what anyone would do. Fired up the computer and started searching. Checked the official AC Milan store first, naturally. Nope. They had the regular keeper kits, sure, but nothing with Giroud’s name specifically offered on a keeper template. At least, not that I could find easily.
Then I broadened the search. Looked at the big sports retailers online, fan forums, even those sites that do custom jerseys. It was surprisingly tough. Found plenty of standard Giroud outfield jerseys. Found plenty of standard Maignan goalkeeper jerseys. But the specific combo? Not really jumping out at me as an official product.
Getting Hands-On
After hitting a few dead ends, I thought, “Right, if you can’t buy it ready-made, maybe you gotta put it together yourself.” It felt a bit like a mission now.
Step one: Get the base jersey. I managed to track down a blank AC Milan goalkeeper jersey from that season. Took a bit of digging to find the right size and the specific colour he wore in that match (or close enough!). Eventually found one on a resale site, good condition too.
Step two: The customisation. Now, this was the tricky part. I needed to get ‘GIROUD’ and the number ‘9’ printed on the back in the official style – font, size, colour, everything had to look right. Just slapping any old letters on wouldn’t cut it.
- I spent some time looking at pictures from the match, trying to get a good look at the lettering used on Milan kits that season.
- Found a local print shop that does custom sportswear printing. Took the blank jersey down there.
- Had a chat with the guy running it. Showed him the pictures, explained what I was after. He seemed to get it, thankfully.
- We looked through his font options and found one that was a really close match to the official Serie A style. Decided on the standard white lettering colour used on that particular keeper kit.
- Placed the order, paid the fee, and left the jersey in his hands. Felt a bit nervous, hoping it would turn out okay.
The Result
A few days later, I got the call – it was ready. Went back to the shop, and honestly, I was pretty chuffed with how it looked. The print quality was decent, the name and number looked sharp, positioned correctly. Holding it up, it really felt like the jersey from that moment, even though it was sort of a custom tribute piece.
It’s hanging up now. Every time I glance at it, I remember that bizarre end to the match, Giroud making that save, the sheer unexpectedness of it all. It wasn’t about buying some super rare official collector’s item. It was more about capturing a memory, that feeling of “anything can happen in football” and a player doing whatever it takes for the team. Yeah, pretty happy with how this little quest turned out.
