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Since joining Chelsea last season, alongside head coach Marurizio Sarri, who at the time appeared to be joined at the hip with him, Jorginho has become a mainstay for all teams Blue. He’s anchored the Chelsea midfield, for better or worse, and he’s become undroppable for Italy as well. In fact, he’s missed a grand total of just 33 minutes of (semi-)competitive action since the team’s failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, and that was in the second half of a 6-0 laugher against Liechtenstein.
In the meantime, he’s managed to divorce himself from Sarri, both physically and in terms of the narrative, and has gone from strength to strength since the start of the calendar year. Under Lampard, he’s revealed an added leadership dimension to his game as well, alongside stepping up the intensity that’s needed to make the new head coach’s tactical ideas work.
In short, it’s been a positive 12+ months for the 27-year-old midfielder, to say the least, and his often talkative agent agrees.
“It has certainly been a positive year for Jorginho. He is doing well for the Nazionale and can take part in the Euros. He always converts his penalties, I am very happy for him, as he is working so hard every day. Naturally, it was not positive when Giampiero Ventura was the Italy Coach, but he has slowly become first choice in that midfield.
“It certainly helps that he plays for Chelsea, because it’s a very intense style of football in England and he learned a lot from both Maurizio Sarri and Frank Lampard.”
Jorginho’s penalty in Italy’s last game helped punch their tickets to next summer’s Euro 2020 tournament, and presumably, he will continue to anchor their three-man midfield as well, alongside the likes of former Chelsea transfer targets Marco Verratti and Nicolò Barella.
“I think Jorginho can do very well at the Euros and, why not, also at the next World Cup. As for a return to Serie A, anything is possible, and he will always feel the desire to come back home.”
-João Santos; source: Radio Sportiva via Football Italia
It’s certainly been a banner year, 2019, for Chelsea Vice-captain Jorginho. May that long continue!