Talking to Gazzetta dello Sport, Shakhtar Donetsk coach Roberto De Zerbi was asked whether Jorginho deserved the Ballon d'Or ahead of Leo Messi. Besides hailing the midfielder, De Zerbi threw another name into the mix.
“If you look at the trophies he’s [Jorginho] won, he deserves it. He is such a smart midfielder. When I was at Sassuolo, I used to tell Maxime Lopez to watch him closely because he sees football one hour before the others," he said. (h/t Football Italia)
"You won’t notice him many times, but he was one of Italy’s key players with Gigio Donnarumma, Leo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini.
"However, Messi remains Messi and, until he plays, will be among the candidates. Fabio Cannavaro won the Ballon d’Or in the past, so I don’t see why Chiellini should not win it for the spirit he had at the Euros."
Will due respect, Chiellini being a candidate for the award is quite the stretch. The 36-year-old wasn't even an undisputed starter for Juventus in 2021, as he had to miss many matches through injury or fatigue.
Besides, Cannavaro won the World Cup the year he got the Ballon d'Or, which is a much bigger deal than the Euros.
