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After winning the UEFA Player of the Year award, Chelsea star midfielder Jorginho took a dig at former Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand for criticizing him in the past.
Posted on his Instagram Stories, the video included a picture of Jorginho sitting on the bench from the 2019-20 season, an original clip of Ferdinand criticizing him, and the moment he won the award.
The clip of Ferdinand criticizing Jorginho was recorded with BT Sport back in 2019. At the time, the former Red Devils defender said of the Champions League winner:
"Jorginho is someone who sets the tempo of a game. But how many assists has he got this season? Around 2,000 passes, no assists. He’s not a great defender. Once he plays against a big team, he gets overrun in midfield. He can’t run. He doesn’t give you anything defensively, and he doesn’t give you anything at the other end of the pitch."
The 29-year-old Italian international has gone from strength to strength, driving his club to a Champions League trophy and aiding his national side to the Euro 2020 title.
Jorginho's consistent performances over the past year ensured that he overtook fellow teammate N'Golo Kante and Manchester City's Kevin de Bruyne to the coveted Men's Player of the Year award.
Jorginho's fellow Chelsea teammates picked up individual awards as well, with Edouard Mendy and N'Golo Kante named the Best Goalkeeper and the Best Midfielder respectively. Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel also accepted the UEFA Men's Coach of the Year trophy.
It’s a great feeling, I’m really happy: Jorginho
Speaking about the award and what it meant to him, Jorginho said:
"It happened because of everyone and not just me, so it means a lot. I just want to say thank you to all those people who have helped along the way, and even those who didn’t believe in me because they motivated me to work even harder. It’s a great feeling, I’m really happy and I just want to say thank you to everyone."
He also shared an Instagram post in which he wrote:
"Years ago, I was just a boy like any other who dreamed to play football. Today, I have the honour of celebrating this award with all of you, believing in me and supporting me. This award is for all the dreamers of the world, to inspire you to keep believing. Dreams can come true!"
