Known for competing in the role as a deep-lying playmaker in midfield, Jorginho is currently plying his trade with English Premier League side Chelsea FC. Named as the UEFA Player of the Year in 2021, we take a look at some of the best quotes about Jorginho.
A winner of the UEFA Champions League and European Championship competitions, Jorginho has also been honoured with an Italian Order of Merit knighthood.
Born in a coastal town in Brazil, Jorge Luiz Frello Filho has played in 44 internationals for Italy, due to his Italian ancestry, having moved to the European country when young.
Starting out with a couple of Italian clubs, Jorginho moved to Chelsea in 2018 for £50 million. Despite not having won any major League title thus far, he has picked up seven major honours during his career, and was one of the top footballers at Euro 2020 in terms of statistical performance in the passing, recovery, and ground covered areas.
He also broke the record for the most interceptions in a single major international tournament, and apart from winning the Player of the Year award, was also placed third in the prestigious Ballon d’Or category.
Nicknamed ‘Il Professore’ (The Professor) by his Italian team-mates, he has been described as a versatile and intelligent footballer, with good leadership and organizational attributes, and is a constant vocal guidance during games.
Jorginho
“Jorginho is a big character and a driver for us, which is very evident to see on the pitch.”
Frank Lampard (Chelsea manager)
“He is a refined player, probably not understandable by everyone. You have to set your eyes on him and only watch him in the game. He is so good and intelligent that he makes everything seem easy, rarely anything spectacular remains in your eyes. This is its greatness.”
Maurizio Sarri (former Chelsea manager)
“The way he controls the game, retrieves the ball and presses opponents is incredible.”
Jose Mourinho (former Chelsea manager)
“Jorginho is the symbol of this Italy team…..I realised how important he is for this team.”
Fabio Capello (former England manager)
“…..in the right place at the right time throughout.”
Cosmin Contra (UEFA technical observer)
“…..very best midfielders in the world.”
Thomas Tuchel (Chelsea manager)
“Jorginho worked hard to have this opportunity…..wants to play for Napoli with the same professional attitude he had at Verona.”
Joa Santo (player’s agent)
“He is the kind of player who can help us change attitude during a match and that is important.”
Rafael Benitez (Napoli coach)
“He is smart, he knows his football and if I had to make a comparison to another of his ilk I would say Pirlo. He doesn’t have the same long ball ability as Pirlo, but the same football intelligence.”
Giovanni Galli (former Verona director)
“He always plays in tight situations and passes very close to him. It’s very hard to follow him and stop his plays. You get tired because he moves the ball very fast, but he didn’t even move himself…..you need a lot of energy to keep up with him and stop him. It can be hard sometimes.”
Radja Nainggolan (Roma player)
“…..runs 12km a game.”
Joa Santo
“…..one of the most coveted midfielders in Europe.”
Marina Granovskaia (Chelsea FC director)