Former England internationals Michael Owen and Rio Ferdinand don’t agree Jorginho is a good candidate for the Ballon d’Or 2021. ‘He’s not the best player at Chelsea and not with Italy either’.
The Brazilian-born Italy international is among the favourites to win the Ballon d’Or this year, as he helped Chelsea win the Champions League, before playing a key role when Italy won EURO 2020.
But the two BT Sport pundits discussed the candidates for the coveted prize and claimed there are ‘no standout’ names on the list, especially not Jorginho.
Robert Lewandowski was the favourite to win the prize in 2020, but France Football decided not to give out the award due to COVID-19.
“There’s no massive standout for me this year,” Owen told BT Sport when asked about this year’s award.
“I feel so sorry for Lewandoski that he didn’t win it last year. I can’t understand why they didn’t have it. Football was only delayed a little while and he was by far and away the most successful player.”
Owen said he might not have won much this time around, but still stressed the Poland international should be the strongest candidate.
“Look at those numbers,” he said, pointing at the graphic. “[Lewandowski scored] 50 goals in 38 games and 6 assists as well, that alone.
“What did he win, the Bundesliga? He didn’t win much else did he? But what else has anyone else won?
“Obviously, Messi won with Argentina but nothing at club level. [Real Madrid striker Karim] Benzema, nothing.
“[Liverpool forward Mohamed] Salah didn’t win anything but had a great season. Jorginho’s the one that’s won two huge trophies but he’s not even their best player.”
And former Manchester United centre-back Ferdinand agrees with Owen, claiming Jorginho is ‘not the first name on the sheet’ for the Azzurri CT Roberto Mancini.
“He’s not the best player at Chelsea and he’s not the first name on the sheet for Italy either,” Ferdinand added. “He’s a very good player, don’t get me wrong and I’m not trying to be disrespectful, I don’t see how he gets on the list of those players and the level these guys have been playing at.
“If you look at Chelsea, in the run-in to winning the CL, I think [N’Golo] Kante was MOM in five of the last six games. It baffles me. He’s won two big trophies, I get that. But when you’re putting him up against the four other players there it doesn’t really make sense to me.”
“The Jorginho one baffles me… He’s not the best player at Chelsea and he’s not the best name on the sheet with Italy either!”@themichaelowen and @rioferdy5 discuss candidates for this year’s Ballon d’Or 🏆
Is Robert Lewandowski most deserving? 🔴#UCLTONIGHT pic.twitter.com/pQ4BBAhBik
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) November 3, 2021
English tv pundits at it again putting an Italian ( Brazilian born) down again….. I’m surprised they didn’t say Harry Kane should win .. tut tut both of you
The loss in the final will hurt them forever
Why these two Englishmen treat the only Italian who missed the penalty kick like that? lol
english pundit is funny. clearly jorginho is undropable on italy and chelsea. even mancini states that. and kante apart from the UCL final he not even played good, he got injury and barely played before the final.
lampard benched jorginho majority of his tenure and he gone by last christmas, then tuchel take over and jorginho almost never miss chelsea game since then and the rest is history. still say jorginho not the most important player for chelsea? LOL
It’s a fair point. Jorginho is a good player, but the best in the world at the moment? Had Italy not (deservedly) won the Euros, he wouldn’t even be on the list. There’s nothing tribal or partisan in that observation, it’s just a fact.
If Cannavaro could win it in 2006, I guess Jorginho can now. Although it wouldnt make sense.
Both times its the teams succes that weighs the most, for them to win or become favorites to win it.
Jorginho hasnt been world class. He’s good, but doesnt deserve the title.
It’s gonna be an even bigger joke, when Messi picks it up though.
They might aswell give it to Emerson Palmieri!
He’s not the most exciting or flamboyant player you’ll ever see but he was a common denominator in a UCL and a Euros win.. You can’t ignore that.
Why anyone listens to this clown Ferdinand after what he said about Italy in Uefa tournament is crazy. He should be removed from air as his commentary is nonsense and useless. He should be working in a car wash along with Barthez. Clowns at best and for a FI journalist to even put this article up as an article you should really go back to journalism school and write about some real issues instead of this junk.
Rio Ferdinand never really liked Italians. He never speaks good about us but who cares about his opinion. He wasn’t much of a defender anyway. Probably good for English standards but not for any other national team. Jorginho is an excellent player. Always gives 100% and apart from the two misses in recent penalties taken for Italy, he deserves the trophy. I am so pleased he took Italian nationality due to his Grandfather Frello and he looks it and acts like an Italian so Forza Jorginho e Forza Italia.
Those pundits (and many fans) view football in such a linear fashion. They are blind to almost everything aside from goals, assists and pace. This outlook illustrates why the likes of Pirlo, Xavi, Iniesta (criminally) etc never won the Ballon-Dor.
Jorginho is a terrific player, bringing so much composure to a team, orchestrating and linking the play, keeping possession, and making many important interceptions thanks to his intelligent positioning.
It’s no coincidence Italy’s fortunes began to turn around once Mancini corrected one of Ventura’s greatest failings (ignoring Jorginho up until the crucial game against Sweden) installing the player as the midfield pivot.
Why don’t you say Mason mount he won prayer of the year from vote of Chelsea fc teammates and carry England team to the final
Yeah, well. If 1998 wasn’t a World Cup year, Zidane wouldn’t have won the Ballon D’Or that year.
It would have been Del Piero.
Zidane wasn’t even Juve’s best player. Del Piero, Montero, Davids, all more important to us that year.
But because Brazilian Defence decided not to contest those 2 Corner Kicks and ZiZou got 2 free headers (all the power to him for doing his job), he took the prize home. All despite getting Red Carded versus the Saudis.
Point being: international and continental football tournaments matter with this award. Lifting major trophy’a matter and if Jorginho wins it, it will NOT be aa outrageous as people are making it out to be.
JORGINHO absolutely deserves the Ballon d’Or.
Rio Ferdinand must be one of the most clueless and most biased fuball “experts” to comment on such matters.
Jorginho was instrumental with Chelsea and Italy winning European championships.
Lools like MC Miker G is also a clueless supporter of Rio Ferdinand
And we know, following Pkatini’s admussion of what was then an open secret. Namely, that the French Futball Frederation conspired with the Fifa organizing and competition committees to ensure that France would avoid facing Brazil in the knockput rounds prior to the final.
WC 1998 Group selection and bracket manipulation at it’s finest!
Aren’t these the same bozos who said “Italy? WO HAVE THEY PLAYED…?”
Owen Hargreaves was not one of those, no.
It was Vieira, Rio Ferdinand, and Gary Neville.
Rio Ferdinand went one step further and said the day of the Final of the European Championship that the night prior he had the best nights sleep he’d had in years because England were going to win it.
Also, in the article when he says that Jorginho isn’t the first name on the scoresheet for Italy and Chelsea, what’s he even talking about? He absolutely is an undisputed starter for both teams.