Italy playmaker Jorginho says the Ballon d’Or winner ‘depends on the criteria’, but stressed ‘nobody has won as much as I have this season’.
Italy and Chelsea midfielder Jorginho has picked up both the Champions League and the European Championship this season, now he dreams of winning the Ballon d’Or.
Jorginho’s former coach at Napoli and Chelsea, Maurizio Sarri, believes the Brazilian-born Italy international should be a candidate to win the Ballon d’Or after the triumph at Wembley.
The Lazio coach said the midfielder, who has impressed with both Chelsea and Italy this year, ‘makes everything seem easy’ and hailed the Azzurri playmaker in his first interview since accepting the job at the Olimpico.
Jorginho scored the decisive penalty in the semi-final against Spain, but then missed Italy’s fifth effort in the Final against England, when Gigio Donnarumma saved Bukayo Saka’s effort to bring the trophy back to Rome.
Jorginho had a key role in the two teams becoming European Champions this term, but battles with players like Lionel Messi, who was influential when Argentina won the Copa America and scored 23 goals in 21 games with Barcelona in 2021.
Messi contributed four goals and five assists when Argentina secured the Copa America in Brazil and Jorginho stressed he’s ‘aware that I’m not the best in the world’.
“We live for dreams,” Jorginho told SportTV. “But I’ll be honest enough: it depends on the criteria that lead to assigning it.
“If we walk about talent, I’m aware that I’m not the best in the world. If you choose based on titles, well, no one has won more than me this season.
“How will I compare myself to [Lionel] Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo or Neymar? They have completely different characteristics, but again, it depends on the criteria.”
#Jorginho a cuore aperto: “Ecco come sono diventato italiano”. E sul Pallone d’oro… #ITA https://t.co/Jd9jDLNr4K
— La Gazzetta dello Sport (@Gazzetta_it) July 13, 2021
Campeão da Eurocopa, Jorginho falando do carro, de madrugada, com #bemamigos, agora pic.twitter.com/WNv6Dyv8C6
— SporTV (@SporTV) July 13, 2021