Chelsea’s Kante, Jorginho tick another box in Ballon d’Or bingo
It’s been a whirlwind few months for Chelsea players, especially those who also competed at Euro 2020. The Blues have become sensations ever since lifting the Champions League trophy. The Champions of Europe are now in the midst of kicking off their 2021/22 season after a thumping win versus Crystal Palace and a victory over Villarreal in penalties in the UEFA Super Cup. The Super Cup shootout win saw a majority of Chelsea’s players lift their second European trophy in a number of months; for some though, it was more than just a piece of silverware.
Jorginho and N’Golo Kante have been under the microscope for about half a year now. The two midfielders were pivotal—no pun intended—in the Blues’ Champions League campaign last season. Further, they each had a big role to play in their national teams at the European Championships. It’s these performances that saw both players named finalists for UEFA’s Men’s Player of the Year award on Thursday.
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Chelsea midfielders Jorginho and N’Golo Kante named finalists for the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award
The Chelsea duo made up two of the three finalists spots on the list with the other place belonging to Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne. Other big names like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe rounded out the top 10. It’s expected either one of the Blues will win the award at the UEFA Champions League group stage draw on August 26. Regardless of who wins, Jorginho and Kante have already finished higher than any Chelsea player since the award was first given out in 2010/11. Previously that honor went to Eden Hazard, who placed sixth in 2014/15. Both will be thrilled with their finalist status, as well, as it solidifies their campaigns for the Ballon d’Or in December.
Jorginho’s the long shot to win the award, but that’s not to say he doesn’t have a chance. The Italian is a triple European Champion (UCL, Euro 2020, Super Cup) over the last few months with a chance to win more silverware at the Club World Cup later this year. The regista played a crucial part in all three title-winning campaigns, starting in midfield for a majority of the former two. In the Super Cup, Thomas Tuchel deemed him not match fit enough to start, but he came on late and even slotted home a nervy penalty in the shootout.
The German manager has helped Jorginho break out of his shell during his seven months in charge at Chelsea. The Brazilian born midfielder was seemingly shackled to Maurizio Sarri’s unfavorable legacy and style of play beforehand. Now, Jorginho is playing some of the best football of his life under Tuchel and it’s paying dividends. The Blues’ vice captain was the team’s top Premier League scorer last season with seven goals en route to a top four finish, as well. In addition to his reputation of being a conductor in the middle of the pitch, Jorginho has become known as one of the best penalty takers anywhere in the world. It’s not inconceivable to believe Jorginho could take home the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award and still lose out on the Ballon d’Or to his colleague.
Kante has a strong case for winning Ballon d’Or due to his personal achievements. Whereas Jorginho has been instrumental to his team’s victories, Kante has been gargantuan. His three consecutive Man of the Match performances in the Champions League semifinals and final are almost unheard of in club football’s biggest competition. The Frenchman doesn’t score goals, he seldom ends up on saucy highlight reels and he won’t dribble past defenders like it’s nobody’s business. Kante does the dirty work. He puts in tackles, he presses with relentless pace, he recovers the ball before the opposition can even begin to formulate a counter-attack—he’s simply everywhere.
The only potential blemish on Kante’s resume is France’s loss to Switzerland at Euro 2020. Even then, Kante still had a superb tournament, so nobody can really fault him for Didier Deschamps’ side imploding. The finalist tag for the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award is huge for the 30-year-old, but in order for it to truly matter, he needs to stay healthy. Kante picked up a knock against Villarreal and did not feature in the Blues’ domestic opener against Crystal Palace. He did just return to training ahead of an early season London derby on Sunday though.
Many Chelsea fans would have Jorginho and Kante as 1a and 1b for the prestigious individual award. Nevertheless, the status in and of itself is enough to check another box off the players’ Ballon d’Or bingo game. The success of the two midfielders goes to show just how revolutionary this new era in SW6 is becoming. The Blues are not only winning team trophies, they’re taking home some of football’s best individual awards, things that have never been done throughout the club’s rich history.
Elsewhere, Tuchel has been shortlisted alongside Pep Guardiola and Roberto Mancini for the UEFA Men’s Coach of the Year award. Chelsea did not have any women on the UEFA Women’s Player of the Year shortlist as it was stacked with a trio of Barcelona greats. However, the Blues were represented through manager Emma Hayes, who finds herself amongst the UEFA Women’s Coach of the Year finalists. Good luck to everyone involved at next week’s ceremony!
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