The Italian midfielder has become a strong contender for the Ballon d’Or after winning the Euros.
Former Chelsea star Gianfranco Zola has endorsed Jorginho for the Ballon d’Or award this year following an impressive Euro 2020 campaign.
Jorginho led the Italy national team to European Championship glory, and before that, he had played a key role for the Blues in the UEFA Champions League win.
The 29-year-old arrived at Stamford Bridge with then-manager Maurizio Sarri in 2018. Still, he is the crucial player in the Chelsea midfield in the Blue’s extraordinary run in the UCL and Premier League under Thomas Tuchel.
Italian manager Roberto Mancini also benefited from the ex-Napoli midfielder’s rich vein of form as he came out as one of the best midfielders of Euros.
Jorginho has placed himself as a strong contender for the Ballon d’Or this year, and ex-Blues star Zola feels that he should eventually beat the likes of Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski to win the award.
“Now we are talking about a fantastic player like Messi who did extraordinary things for the first time with his national team – and this won’t go unnoticed.
Should they give it to Jorginho? It would be deserved. He provides concrete balance and pace to his teams. I was lucky to have him at Chelsea, and I know what he does on the pitch.
It would be deserved because not only were his performances at a high level, but the teams he played for have been outstanding. This must be taken into account.”
It remains to be seen whether Jorginho would be bestowed with the Ballon d’Or award or not as Messi remains the favourite after an extraordinary season that culminated in the Copa America title win.