UEFA Player of the Year talks about his difficult start at Chelsea

Chelsea star Jorginho was not always a fan favorite. In fact, the player who is now tipped to win the Ballon d’Or was once simply referred to as Sarri’s son. This is due to the fact that he was brought in by Maurizio Sarri from Napoli and was kept in the team during the Italian’s reign, even when he was not performing well. In his initial years with the Blues, the Italian midfielder was a bit slow while still adjusting to the physicality of the Premier League. However, instead of becoming unmotivated by all the negative criticism, he challenged himself to prove the doubters wrong.

In a tear-jerking biographical blog on The Player’s Tribune, Jorginho wrote about all the hardships he had to face in life before being able to lift the Europa League, the Champions League and the European Championship. It is a very compelling read from his time at camp in Brazil to his ultimate victory with Italy at Wembley Stadium. Today, however, we will be looking at his time at Chelsea and the hardships he faced before being named the UEFA Player of the Year in 2021. 

Chelsea star Jorginho goes into detail about the ups and downs of his career

The Brazilian-born regista wrote that his life as a Blue was tough in the beginning. He admitted that he heard the critics calling him too slow, too weak and pointing out that he did not have enough of an impact on each game. Sarri brought him over from Napoli in hopes that he would emulate his form from Serie A. However, the manager didn’t take into account the fact that it takes time to adapt to a different league, a different country and a different culture. This didn’t take away from his talent though, Pep Guardiola’s pursuit of the midfielder reminds us all that he’s an insanely talented individual.

In his blog, he wrote that he never had it easy growing up. Living in the Bootcamp in Brazil was hell, and even when he moved to Italy, he was not trusted enough. He was sent on loans to the fourth division. However, he never gave up and found himself in Napoli. Jorginho admits that he had periods of mediocrity but that never put him down. He always tried to better himself.

In the blog, the reigning UEFA Player of the Year had this to say:

"“I had a hard year at Napoli, too, and then Sarri came and changed everything. So the Chelsea stuff? Puh! I just used the criticism as fuel. I was thinking, These people are going to be embarrassed. And now I’m sitting here with a Europa League title and a Champions League title. So to all the critics, I just want to say one thing. Thank you. Really, thank you all. “"

From being called Sarri’s son to winning three European titles in a row, from being forced to live on 20 euros a week to become one of the greatest midfielders of our generation, Jorginho has truly experienced it all. It is a true story of hard work and determination. Jorginho undoubtedly deserves all the love and praise he is receiving right now. He ended the blog by saying that everything in life is possible, only if we do not give up.

Do you think Jorginho deserves to win the Ballon d’Or? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!