The manager of Chelsea football club, Thomas Tuchel, has given the 2021 Ballon d’Or to his midfielder, Jorginho. The German tactician believes that the 29-year-old Italian defensive midfielder has all it takes to earn the award this year.
Jorginho is among the 30 footballers shortlisted for the 2021 edition of the Ballon d’Or. He is seen as one of the major contenders for the award based on his performance in the last 12 months.
Recall that during the 2020-2021 season, Jorginho played 43 times for Chelsea. The Italian midfielder scored 8 goals and provided 2 assists in all competitions.
His effort helped Thomas Tuchel to win the UEFA Champions League for Chelsea for the first time in the coach’s managerial career and the football career of the Italian footballer.
Also, Jorginho helped Thomas Tuchel to beat Villarreal to win the UEFA Super Cup for Chelsea which made the midfielder a major contender for the Ballon d’Or.
To crown it up, Jorginho was very much involved in the Italy national team that won the UEFA European Championship [Euro 2020]. His effort in the competition earned him the best UEFA player of the year.
Based on these achievements, coach Thomas Tuchel wants the midfielder to win the award ahead of the likes of Robert Lewandowski of Bayern Munich, Lionel Messi of PSG, and Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United.
The coach acknowledged that the 29-year-old midfielder who joined Chelsea from Napoli on July 14, 2018, for a transfer fee worth €57 million, has the football intelligence, and vision to be named the best player in the year.
The German tactician however added that he does not believe in individual awards but noted that he would not mind if any of his players win the Ballon d’Or this year.
Recall that Chelsea and French midfielder, Ngolo Kante was also shortlisted for the award and is seen as one of the major contenders. Chelsea and England star, Mason Mount was also nominated.
But When Tuchel was speaking at an annual Sports Festival in the Italian city of Trento, Tuchel said: “Jorginho deserves to win the Ballon d’Or. He’s a very intelligent player and it is a pleasure to be his coach. He has a great vision of football.
“For me, individual prizes don’t have great significance, it is impossible to make a real comparison between several players of different roles.
“I would like one of my players to win it because I would know what the effect would be.
“Then, Jorginho is a great person and an excellent player, but in general it is not the most important thing.”
#Azzurri 🇮🇹
— Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri_En) October 9, 2021
🎙 We spoke with Head Coach Roberto #Mancini as well as #Jorginho ahead of #ItalyBelgium tomorrow – Here’s what they had to say 👇@robymancio #NationsLeague #ITABEL #VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/9KOX4gxDqN
Thomas Tuchel has been a fine manager in handling big players
Thomas Tuchel started his managerial career in Germany in 2007. Then, the two biggest clubs he had the opportunity of coaching were Mainz and Borussia Dortmund.
In 2018, Tuchel was given the biggest task of his football career when Paris Saint Germain appointed him coach of the club.
When he got to PSG, he met Neymar and Kylian Mbappe who were already established world football stars. But he was able to manage the players so well that there was no infighting in his squad until he left in December 2020.
When it comes to achievement, Thomas Tuchel delivered so well at PSG that he led them to the 2019-2020 UEFA Champions League final for the first time in the club’s history.
Unfortunately for him, he was sacked in December 2020 because of the misunderstanding between him and PSG sporting director Leonardo.
Afterwards, Chelsea appointed Tuchel in the second half of the 2020-2021 season. Within months, Thomas Tuchel led Chelsea to win the UEFA Champions League title.
“If Chelsea has the credibility of the biggest clubs, it is due to a perfect organization,” Tuchel said at the Trento Sports Festival in Italy on Saturday. “[It] eliminates distances and makes communication easier.
“This allows me to be focused and creative and also to be respected by the players.
“A coach must be direct and honest, clear about what he expects, and open.
“To coach Mbappe and Neymar in Paris, or [N’Golo] Kante and [Romelu] Lukaku at Chelsea.
“[To] convince them to make one move or another, you have to gain consensus through the power of ideas, not authority.
“You have to convince them that that strategy will improve the game of the team.”
