Jorginho has revealed why his first season at Chelsea made him ‘angry’ and how he used criticism of his performances as ‘fuel’ to improve.
Jorginho signed for Chelsea in a £50m deal from Napoli in 2018 and has since developed into an integral figure for the west London side, though the midfielder endured a difficult start as he struggled to adapt to the demands of the Premier League.
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The Italy international was a regular target for criticism given former manager Maurizio Sarri’s faith in the star questioned, but Jorginho admits his tough start to his time at Stamford Bridge was used as further fuel to his determination to make an impression.
Jorginho has since won the Europa League and Champions League during his time at Chelsea, whilst he was named as UEFA Men’s Player of the Year following the club’s European success last season.
“My start at Chelsea made me miss [Napoli] even more,” Jorginho wrote in The Players’ Tribune. “We all remember what they were saying, right? I was too slow. I was too weak. I was Sarri’s son. Man, it made me so angry.
“But listen, they underestimated me. You see, I’ve had a turbulent start at every club I’ve been with. Every club. It’s incredible. When I came to Verona, nobody wanted me. They sent me on loan to the fourth division. Nobody wanted me there either.
“But I kept working and I won respect. I went back to Verona and we went up to Serie A. 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.”
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