Arsenal star OVERRATED: I can’t believe he’s had such a career, say former team-mates

Robin Bairner

12 Apr 2025 03:28 CDT
3 min read

One Arsenal star has received stinging criticism from his former team-mates who cannot believe that the Premier League star has gone onto achieve the things he has done in football.

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Jorginho has come under fire from former Napoli team-mates Valon Behrami and Blerim Dzemaili, who have been left stunned that the Brazilian-born Italy international has scaled to the top of the game.

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The 33-year-old midfielder is into his final months as an Arsenal player, having moved to Mikel Arteta’s side from Chelsea in January 2023 for a fee of little over €11m.

The pair cannot believe that he has featured for such clubs, claiming that he has been lucky with the way things have fallen for him.

Jorginho got lucky, claims Behrami

Speaking to RsiSport (via Calciomercato), Behrami explained: “Almost a Ballon d’Or winner? I remember when we were at Napoli and Jorginho played, and we didn’t as much. Dzemaili would look at me during training, after physically turning him around, and say: ‘Don’t you see how I just wear him like a backpack?’

“In physical one-on-one situations, there was a huge difference. But he had great tactical intelligence and found the right coach, so he got more out of his career. Also thanks to the circumstances – Maurizio Sarri, the fact he went to Chelsea, the need for a playmaker.

“Under pressure, you could always take the ball from him; he was the easiest to face. Then he caught the eye, but he was the one I struggled against the least.”

Dzemaili did not rate Jorginho as highly as other midfielders he has played with, notably another former Arsenal star in Granit Xhaka.

“Xhaka is the strongest, Behrami is second. I’m not saying that because he’s here, but because I believe it. I’m crazy about Remo Freuler. Considering his abilities, he’s had an extraordinary career. I expected less from him, so I put him third. Then Gokhan Inler and Jorginho, who is the opposite of Freuler. I didn’t see all those qualities in Jorginho to think he would have such a career,” he said.

What did Jorginho win?

Despite the words of his former Napoli partners, Jorginho has claimed a raft of major prizes. He is notably a Champions League winner and was part of the Italy side that won Euro 2020, scoring the Azzurri’s final penalty against England.

His performances at that competition fuelled a push to finish third in the 2021 Ballon d’Or standings while he was named UEFA Men’s Player of the Year in 2020/21.

Jorginho has been a peripheral figure for Arsenal this season, having played 25 matches, often off the bench.

Into the final weeks of his contract at the Emirates, he is expected to return to Brazil in the summer.