There was a touching moment inside Chelsea’s official store this weekend as Jorginho’s mum was given a tour around Stamford Bridge. Jorginho, 26, became Chelsea’s first signing of the summer transfer window when he completed a £57million move last month, following Maurizio Sarri from Napoli to west London.
The Brazilian-born Italy international made his debut in the Blues’ 1-0 victory away at Perth Glory and produced a standout performance, making 101 touches and completing 92 passes before he was substituted at half-time.
Sarri was desperate for Jorginho to join him at the club, a player who he managed three seasons in Serie A, and it came as a huge relief to the Italian that the midfielder was keen on a move. Jorginho revealed back in 2013 that his mother, Maria Tereza Freitas, taught him to play the beautiful game and she was in floods of tears as she saw her son’s shirt in the Chelsea Megastore for the first time.
Back when Jorginho was at Verona, he paid tribute to his mum for introducing him to football as a child. ‘My mother played football so I learned a lot from her,” Jorginho, who cost Chelsea £57.4million, said in 2013. ‘She still plays today and understands a lot. She would take me to the beach with a ball and I would spend the whole afternoon doing technical work in the sand. ‘I was raised to face problems.’
Marcos Alonso revealed that Jorginho has been helping his new team-mates adapt to Sarri’s style at Chelsea. ‘He is used to playing this way, and he is going to be a great help for everybody,’ the Chelsea defender said.
‘He is giving us tips to get used to this way of playing. ‘He moves very well on the pitch, he plays with confidence, and since day one he has looked good.’
Maurizio Sarri would like a decade-long stay at Chelsea but knows he needs to collect silverware – starting with the Community Shield against Manchester City at Wembley on Sunday.
Sarri was confirmed as Chelsea’s sixth Italian boss when he replaced countryman Antonio Conte as head coach at the start of pre-season.
His first outing in English football comes against Pep Guardiola’s Premier League champions in the traditional season curtain-raiser.
The two coaches spoke of their mutual respect for one another when City faced Napoli in two pulsating Champions League encounters last season, and they met for a close-season dinner with celebrated ex-AC Milan and Italy boss Arrigo Sacchi.
“Guardiola told me that here in England it is very difficult,” he said “The level is very high, so he had some problems in his first season but he said that football is football everywhere.
“Sure, I think every coach at the moment wants to work here in England. The Premier League is the best level in the world. So what can I say? I can say that I am very lucky to be here.”
How long he remains in situ depends on how readily he can satisfy Chelsea’s thirst for honours – something Conte managed by winning the Premier League in 2016-17 and the FA Cup last term before a tempestuous relationship with the Stamford Bridge hierarchy ran its course.