Arsenal midfielder Jorginho offers his verdict on Rodri
Arsenal midfielder Jorginho offers his verdict on Rodri's 2024 Ballon d'Or victory (images: @rodrihernandezbr/Instagram, Getty)
Arsenal midfielder Jorginho has offered his frank assessment of Manchester City midfielder Rodri, who won the 2024 Ballon d'Or. The Italian said that the Spaniard likes to stay risk-averse, claiming that he doesn't like to get into trouble.
Rodri won the 2024 Ballon d'Or title ahead of Real Madrid duo Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham. In 58 appearances for club and country in the 2023-24 campaign, the 28-year-old bagged 12 goals and 14 assists. He won the Premier League, FIFA Club World Cup and EURO 2024 (while also being named Player of the Tournament in the latter).
Jorginho recently appeared on the Rio Ferdinand Presents YouTube channel, featuring in the Rio Meets podcast hosted by the former Manchester United defender. Amid other topics, Rodri's 2024 Ballon d'Or victory was discussed by the pair, with the Italian offering his candid thoughts on the 28-year-old's style of play.
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The Arsenal man praised the Spaniard's physicality and footballing IQ, claiming that he does the basics right to help his side. He said:
"He's very clever. He is very physical as well, which helps him. He's always in the right moment. He doesn't like to put himself in trouble. He does the simple thing to (always) help the team. He is also being quite efficient in the opponent's box as well, scoring important goals."
Rodri is currently out injured with a tear in his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), and is likely to be sidelined until March 2025. On the other hand, Jorginho is currently a rotational player for Arsenal and has made nine appearances across all competitions in the 2024-25 campaign.
"Everything changed" - Arsenal midfielder Jorginho opens up on triumphant 2020-21 campaign culminating in Ballon d'Or podium
Arsenal midfielder Jorginho has opened up about the challenges he faced during his incredible campaign in the 2020-21 season that saw him finish third in the 2021 Ballon d'Or standings.
Back then, the Italian plied his trade for the Gunners' London rivals Chelsea. He played a vital role in leading the Blues to the UEFA Champions League title, lifting the trophy with a 1-0 win over Manchester City in the final.
He also won EURO 2020 with Italy that season, missing just 15 minutes of play en route to a win over England in the final (1-1, 3-2 on penalties). He also helped the Azzurri finish third in the UEFA Nations League, beating Belgium 2-1 in the third-place playoff.
For his incredible campaign, Jorginho finished third in the 2021 Ballon d'Or standings behind Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski. Reminiscing the astonishing circumstances, the 32-year-old said (via Rio Ferdinand Presents, at 44:43 in the video below):
"For six months, it was quite tough for me personally. And then, everything changed. In the next six months you end up winning the Champions League, but then you dont even have time to think and realize what is going on, because you go to the EUROs and then win that as well. It's not bad (laughs)."
Up next, Jorginho could potentially be seen in action when Arsenal face off against Manchester United in the Premier League on December 4.