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Former Italy striker Antonio Cassano has given a scathing assessment of Arsenal star Jorginho, who he suggests wasn't worthy of his 2021 Ballon d'Or bronze award.
Jorginho made history with Gli Azzurri at Euro 2020, appearing in seven games as they won the tournament. That season, he also won the UEFA Champions League with his former club Chelsea. The 31-year-old made 43 appearances across competitions, scoring eight goals and providing two assists.
However, Jorginho is struggling for game time at the Emirates following the arrival of Declan Rice from West Ham United in the summer. He has made just three appearances across competitions from the bench, amounting to 17 minutes of action.
Cassano has heavily lambasted the former Chelsea star and reckons the veteran midfielder struggles to kick a ball when running. He alluded to Jorginho's place in the Italian team (via Sport Witness):
“Mancini performed a miracle. Before him, we were mediocre, but then he made many players believe they were stronger than everyone else."
Jorginho came third in the 2021 Ballon d'Or rankings, behind Barcelona icon Lionel Messi and Bayern Munich legend Robert Lewandowski. Cassano hinted that Jorginho was underserving of that placing:
“At a certain point in Italy, there was talk of Jorginho as the Ballon d’Or winner. Do you realise? A footballer who struggles to kick and assist, without running or physique."
Cassano concluded by touching on Jorginho's lack of game time with Arsenal:
“He doesn’t play at Arsenal because they signed Rice. It’s not like they have Xavi and Iniesta. In Italy, we made him a champion.”
Jorginho has been widely regarded as one of Europe's finest ball-playing midfielders over the years. He put in consistent performances for Chelsea, making 213 appearances, scoring 29 goals and providing eight assists.
The Italy international isn't getting the amount of first-team action he may have envisioned when he made the switch across London. He faces an uphill battle to displace Rice in Mikel Arteta's Arsenal side.
Thomas Tuchel gave glowing verdict of Arsenal's Jorginho
Cassano may not be too fond of Jorginho's footballing ability, but former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel certainly is.
The German coach spoke glowingly not only of his abilities but also his passion for the game. He said in 2021 (via the club's website):
"He is really into the game. Jorgi is always thinking about tactics. He loves to be involved in that aspect, and I feel his true love for the game. That makes him a very important player and a huge link in the middle of the pitch, not only for us, but for Italy."
Jorginho has earned 48 caps for Italy, bagging five goals and two assists. The veteran Arsenal midfielder also won UEFA's Best Player award in 2021 after a successful season with club and country.
