Jorginho: ‘Vertical passing was never a problem’

Jorginho’s journey from a figure of scorn to a recognized leader has been well documented at this point, but even in a season full of good vibes and homegrown excellence, the Chelsea Vice-captain is serving as true inspiration to the power of not giving up and working even harder in the face of unfair adversity.

“I was not welcomed well, and the beginning was tiring. When you move from one league to another, you need time to adapt. In football, unfortunately, we are impatient.

“I recognise myself as having never given up, for not letting myself go into despair. For this reason, now it is even better to live this dimension. I wanted to show that I deserved the Premier League and the Chelsea jersey.

“It is all coming along very well, but there is nothing accidental. I wanted to stay in the most competitive championship in the world. Moving into a club like Chelsea and playing in the Premier League represents the pinnacle. I had promised myself not to miss this challenge. It wasn’t easy, but now I see the light.”

Jorginho arrived after over a decade of playing in Italy, the last few years of which he had spent playing for Maurizio Sarri, creating a narrative of tactical-symbiosis between coach and midfielder. But as it turns out, there’s more to Jorginho than just sideways short passing. He’s not just a “system” player after all!

And the 27-year-old credits new head coach Frank Lampard for taking the time and effort to look at the situation with open eyes and an open mind.

“With Lampard, the agreement was born immediately, during the summer retreat. The risk that I could be considered a symbol of the previous coach was real, but Lampard wanted to judge with his eyes.

“We have a more aggressive approach, but only one aspect of my game was taken into account in the evaluations that concerned me. Vertical passing was never a problem.”

-Jorginho; source: Gazzetta dello Sport via Sport Witness

Jorginho has been just as integral to Chelsea this season as last, if not even more thanks to all the injuries, major and minor, of all the other midfielders around him.

No matter how good you are in a sport, moving from one country to another can always be a challenge. Jorginho has shown that such adversities can be overcome. He refused to give up on himself, and that’s lead to great results both for himself and for Chelsea.