Credit: Getty Images
Former Arsenal midfielder Jorginho has lifted the lid on his departure from the club, revealing he left because he felt unable to ‘play with joy’ under Mikel Arteta’s management.
The Brazil-born Italy international moved from Chelsea to Arsenal in January 2023 but struggled for regular game time during his two seasons at the Emirates Stadium. He made 79 appearances for the Gunners, with only 27 coming as starts, before departing for Flamengo in his homeland earlier this year.
FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER
The daily Arsenal FC newsletter
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Speaking candidly about his Arsenal experience, Jorginho explained his motivation for leaving north London. “I want to feel alive and important for the team,” he said. “When a player is not on the pitch, it’s hard to keep motivated. I felt I needed to go somewhere where I was going to play with joy.”
Set-piece criticism emerges
---------------------------
The 33-year-old also echoed growing criticisms of Arsenal’s heavy reliance on set-pieces, comparing their approach to doing homework. While acknowledging their effectiveness in the title race, Jorginho suggested the emphasis on dead-ball situations detracts from the game’s natural beauty.
“It does feel like homework, that’s the reality,” [he told The Times](https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/arsenal-fc-arteta-jorginho-joyles-b1279013.html). “But when you do your homework and then you have the test, you have a good result.”
The former Chelsea man continued: “If you focus just on this, and then you forget about the football side, then of course, you’re not going to have beautiful football. So I think it’s all about balance.”
Jorginho suggested that Arsenal’s “hyper-focus” on set-pieces may have led to other aspects of their football being “a bit forgotten,” though he stressed the importance of evolution in the modern game.
Title race backing despite concerns
-----------------------------------
Despite his criticisms, Jorginho backed his former club to challenge for their first Premier League title since 2004. However, he warned against the psychological burden of recent near-misses affecting the squad’s mentality.
“I hope they forget about the last few years, because if they think about it, then they could put pressure on themselves,” he said. “I think they just should realise how strong they are and what a strong position they are in.”
The midfielder was careful to emphasise he holds no personal grudge against Arteta, with his departure stemming from a desire for more regular football rather than any personal conflict. Arsenal’s set-piece prowess has indeed been crucial to their recent success, with corners and free-kicks providing numerous decisive moments in their title challenges.
Jorginho’s comments provide rare insight into life on the fringes of Arteta’s squad, highlighting the challenge of keeping peripheral players motivated during intense title races.