Former Napoli midfielder Jorginho has vowed to prove Chelsea fans who are doubting his ability wrong after a difficult start to life at Stamford Bridge. The Italy international was jeered in recent matches due to his relationship with manager Maurizio Sarri, but he is keen to prove his doubters wrong. The Italy international joined manager Maurizio Sarri in swapping Napoli for Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2018 as the Blues beat Manchester City to his signature in a £57 million ($86m) deal.
His early weeks in west London provided some encouragement as he scored from the penalty spot on his Premier League debut against Huddersfield Town before going onto break the record for the most passes in a Premier League match against West Ham in September. Since then, however, he has found it difficult to have the same influence on matches as opponents deployed players to man-mark the 27-year-old at the base of midfield.
Seen as key to ‘Sarri-ball’, the Italian manager has been reluctant to alter Jorginho’s role in his team despite a drop in results and calls for N’Golo Kante to be returned to the role he thrived in during his first two campaigns in the capital. Matters came to a head when Chelsea hosted Malmo in the Europa League as Jorginho was booed throughout the 3-0 victory over the Swedish outfit.
Despite that, the Brazilian-born star is not about to change the way he plays and instead hopes to convince supporters that he is worth his place in the side going forward. “Of course, in this day and age everything reaches you quickly,” he told ESPN Brasil when asked whether he had heard the jeers at the time. “With technology everything is very fast.
“The important thing is to know how to deal with the situation. I remained calm because I know this is what fans are like, if you’re not winning they will complain and they have the right to do so. But I always stay focused and keep working. And I’m sure I’ll be able to show what I’m capable of and make them change their minds.”
The pressure on Jorginho and Sarri has lifted somewhat after an impressive performance in their penalty shootout defeat to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final was followed up by victory over Tottenham on Wednesday. Chelsea now sit just three points behind fourth-placed Arsenal with a game in hand in the battle for Champions League football next season as they prepare to face west London rivals Fulham on Sunday.