Talent Scout: Jorginho - the Brazilian-born Italian Under-21 international attracting the interest of Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea
21-year-old Verona midfielder arrived in Italy at the age of 15
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Your support makes all the difference.Hellas Verona have undoubtedly been the surprise package of Serie A so far this season.
The Gialloblu are essentially Italian football’s sleeping giant having previously beaten all the odds to win a shock scudetti back in 1985, surpassing Italy’s dominant trio from Rome, Milan and Turin. Their previous stint in Serie A ended over a decade ago when a squad that included Adrian Mutu, Mauro Camoranesi and Alberto Gilardino were relegated on the final day of the 2002/03 season.
Verona’s demise saw them slide through the divisions and fall into Serie C as recently as 2010. However promotion to the top flight did finally come about last season when ex-Inter Milan defender Andrea Mandorlini masterminded his side to a second place finish behind eventual champions Sassuolo. Following their promotion from Serie B in May, Verona currently sit in sixth place 10 points behind league leaders Roma.
How have Verona reached such dizzying heights so early on? Partly thanks to Mandorlini’s managerial nous. The summer transfer window proved to be rather fruitful for the 53-year-old after made a significant amount of acquisitions including veteran striker Luca Toni on a free transfer, journeyman midfielder Massimo Donati from Palermo and highly-rated Argentine youngster Ezequiel Cirigliano on a season-long loan from River Plate.
Despite bringing in almost a brand new squad, Verona’s success so far this season can also be put down to another young South American prodigy who continues to take Italy by storm, week in, week out.
Jorge luiz Frello Filho, better as Jorginho, is a Brazilian-born Italian Under-21 international. He arrived in Italy as a 15-year-old among a group of talented Brazilian youngsters. It wasn’t long before Verona paid 35,000 euros (£29,000) to acquire his rights from his agent.
Jorginho made his way up the Verona youth ranks and was loaned out in 2010 to gain experience at Serie C2 side AC Sambonifacese. He made 31 appearances and assisted ten goals from central midfield, immediately becoming a fans’ favourite at the Veneto side where he proved to be the catalyst of their success during two seasons at Stadio Renzo Tizian.
Since making his Verona debut in 2011, the 21-year-old has excelled in Italy, turning out accomplished performances in the heart of their midfield. He recently admitted that he models his game on Juventus star Andrea Pirlo. And it’s clearly working.
Jorginho thrives off the raucous atmosphere in Verona’s 39,000 capacity Bentegodi Stadium. Both himself and fellow Brazilian midfielder Romulo are on the same wavelength in every match, supplying killer passes and orchestrating attacks which have led to 22 goals being scored in 12 games so far this season.
European clubs are following Jorginho for three main reasons. Firstly, he possesses a mixture of Brazilian flair and Italian tactical awareness. Secondly, his versatility means that he is able to slot into most team’s formations without a need to change his game. And thirdly, his statistics suggest that he is one of the most consistent players in Italy right now.
Within his first eight league matches, Jorginho scored five goals and contributed one assist. He has an 86.7 per cent pass completion rate and makes just under 0.6 fouls per match. In a recent interview that he estimates he runs over 12 kilometres in each match and revealed that he has hired a sports psychologist to help improve his focus in matches.
Despite being an all-round midfielder, Jorginho considers his best position to in front of the defence, supplying killer balls to the likes of Toni. His distribution is crisp and fluid. It’s easy to tell that he grew up playing football on a Brazilian beach. His clever movement and deft footwork are trademark characteristics of a Brazilian Midfielder.
Weaknesses? Jorginho’s physical frame isn’t as imposing as many central midfielders in the modern game. His technical ability does allow him to wriggle out of trouble, however. Concentration is another key weakness and it’s something that the Brazilian is keen on resolving after hiring an aforementioned sports psychologist.
A whole host of top European sides have been linked with Jorginho. Arsenal and Liverpool are reportedly tracking his progress while scouts from both Chelsea and Sevilla recently watched the 21-year-old in action against Sampdoria, where he thoroughly impressed during a comprehensive 2-0 win.
But right now his dream is to play in Europe for Verona. That coveted dream of European football could become a reality if Italy’s sleeping giant continues playing like they have done this season.
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