Chelsea star Jorginho will let others worry about the Ballon d’Or and assures he wants to play until he’s 40, but warns Italy ‘are no longer a surprise.’
The midfielder has been tipped for the trophy after an extraordinary 2021 in which he won UEFA EURO 2020 with Italy, the Champions League and European Supercup with Chelsea.
“I will let you talk about the Ballon d’Or, I am just trying to enjoy the moment,” said Jorginho in his press conference.
“There are still a few months to go before that decision is made and I am focused on relishing the present, then we’ll see what happens…”
He was also named UEFA Champions League Player of the Year.
“I was a creative midfielder until the age of 13 and the coach I had in Brazil moved me deeper. From that moment, I started watching Andrea Pirlo and Xavi, embracing everything the role brought.”
Jorginho was asked if he intends to see out the rest of his career at Chelsea, a question he considered somewhat premature.
“I have no offers and I am not really thinking about it, to be honest. I am 29 years old and you are asking me where I’ll end my career, I want to play until 40! If they sign me to a 10-year contract…”
Italy are on a 34-match unbeaten run and go into three 2022 World Cup qualifiers against Bulgaria, Switzerland and Lithuania.
“This is when the difficulty starts, because Italy are no longer a surprise. We are where we deserve to be and everyone who faces us now will do it with a different attitude.
“We’re happy with what we achieved over the summer, but must remain humble, because the moment we let our guard down, that’s when bad things happen.
“Roberto Mancini changed our style of football to suit the players we had and it sent a message not just to those abroad, but also to other Italians, that our games are very entertaining.
“A lot of national teams have quality, but what stands us apart is the unity we have as a group. It made the difference and I think it will continue to do so going forward.”
The first match after the Euros is against Bulgaria on Thursday evening and Jorginho is not taking it lightly.
“We must be wary of Bulgaria, because they too have strengths and we mustn’t let ourselves be taken by surprise. They can be particularly dangerous on the counter-attack.”
#Azzurri 🇮🇹
A rainy day was never going to stop Mancini’s men ☔️💪
The team’s preparations continue 📹 #WCQ #Qatar2022 #VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/oPNf9FjPa5
— Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri_En) August 31, 2021
🇮🇹💙🍀👊