Saluting Jorginho and his contributions to Chelsea

By now, everyone has seen the disturbing images of now former Chelsea midfielder Jorginho donning the Arsenal colors. This came after he made his transfer to the north London outfit official on deadline day. Despite the excitement that all Blues fans should share following a historic window pieced together by the ownership group, the club had to say farewell to one of its most familiar faces, and leaders on and off the pitch.

Being able to free the Italian midfielder from west London before he goes without any compensation was an intelligent move, especially with the confirmation of Enzo Fernandez at the death of the final day. Graham Potter and his coaching staff can bid farewell to Jorginho knowing that they now have a replacement for him in the midfield.

He may be the player that has started the most matches in the midfield than any Blue, but it will present the opportunity for some of brightest young stars a chance to thrive in some potentially significant minutes. While Fernandez is not necessarily a defensive midfielder, he will slot in the role as the conductor of the pitch, just like Jorginho did with his vision, and talent with his team in possession.

Jorginho came over to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2014 on the same day that Maurizio Sarri was hired to replace Antonio Conte as the manager. From his very first Premier League match against Huddersfield Town where he found the back of the net via the penalty spot, to his final match in a Chels’ kit against Liverpool, Jorginho will always be fondly remembered by Blues fans as someone that contributed a great deal to the club’s ultimate goal. He leaves Potter with a question that the Blues have not encountered for quite some time, who is going to take the kicks from the penalty spot going forward?

Arsenal may have him until 2024, but CFC will have had the pleasure of owning Jorginho during his best season as a professional footballer. The Italian won four major trophies while in west London, but none were bigger than the Champions League against Manchester City in 2021. During that campaign, the former Napoli man was selected as the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year while earning a spot on the FIFA FIFPro World 11 alongside his Chelsea teammate, N’Golo Kante in the middle of the pitch.

Above all, Jorginho finished third in the Ballon d’Or vote, behind only Lionel Messi, and Robert Lewandowski. The Italian collected the more progressive passes than any other Blue during that Champions League run while sitting second in both tackles plus interceptions, and passes completed in all competitions. Jorginho was truly a maestro during that campaign, and the fan base should take the time to recognize the contributions he gave to the club every time he stepped between the lines. The Premier League title is essentially the only major trophy that Jorginho will leave west London without, having secured the Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, Champions League, and Europa League throughout his four and a half years.

From his display through 90 minutes against Pep Guardiola and Manchester City in Porto to his two penalties against Ajax in an eventful 4-4 draw in the Champions League, Jorginho was at his best when the lights shined the brightest. In fact, 27 of his 29 goals for the club came from 12 yards out. The penalty specialist, and deep-lying playmaker was without a doubt a player that was overlooked during his time at Stamford Bridge.

He may not have been Eden Hazard who scored two goals to seal the 2018-2019 Europa League title, but Jorginho played at the heart of the midfield on that day. The Italian led the Blues in tackles on that day, doing that much-needed “dirty work” to help lift CFC’s second Europa League title.

According to Simon Johnson from The Athletic, Jorginho even left the west London outfit on good terms, potentially coming back to CFC to serve in a role after his player career. His fun-loving personality, and leadership when he received the captain’s armband made him such a special player. He responded to continuous criticism from the outside throughout his career in west London, reacting with such dignity, and respect each time.

Some said he is system player that was not a traditional No. 6 that struggles with his team out of possession. While this may be true, there would be no trophies on the shelves in west London without the Italian acting as the engine who raised the standard of everyone on the pitch.

His attitude and radiating smile is someone that the west Londoners cannot easily replace. Some may love him, and some may be thankful he is gone, but at the end of the day, there has to be a mutual acknowledgement of the quality he possessed that led to all the highs the club has experienced over the last four and a half years.

It will without question be an uncomfortable sight to see the Italian wearing a red kit with the No. 20 on it for the rest of the season. Chelsea’s display in January has to go down as one of the greatest performances within a single transfer window in the history of football, but do not let that overshadow the appreciation this iconic midfielder should receive. Only 50 players in the history of this historic football club reached 200 or more appearances, and Jorginho is one of them.

From all of us at The Pride of London, we wish Jorginho nothing but the best going forward. As they say, once a Blue, always a Blue. Thank you ‘J5’.