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Chelsea star Jorginho admits that he dreams of the chance to link up with Pep Guardiola at some point in his career.
Jorginho enjoyed a memorable 2021 for club and country, lifting the Champions League over Guardiola's Manchester City and winning the European Championship title for Italy.
But he has fond memories of Pep from watching his old Barcelona team and would love to play in one of his squads.
What was said?
"I wasn’t supposed to come to Chelsea," Jorginho explained in a YouTube interview.
"I was supposed to have arrived at another club. Another English club. And then it happened as it happened and I arrived at Chelsea.
"So with Chelsea everything happened very fast. When I saw their offer, I was already in London and I said, 'Let’s go.'
"Have I ever dreamed of playing under Guardiola? I have. I don’t know if it will happen. But yeah, he’s a reference.
"When I was a kid, I watched his Barcelona win everything with Ronaldinho, Xavi, Iniesta."
The bigger picture
Jorginho has been at Stamford Bridge since the summer of 2018, joining from Napoli on the same day that mentor Maurizio Sarri was announced as the club's new manager.
He has gone on to become one of the most accomplished midfielders in the Premier League, making over 170 appearances for the Blues in all competitions to date and, thanks to his enviable penalty prowess, netting 26 goals.
Currently a European champion at club and international level and world champion with Chelsea thanks to their Club World Cup win, Jorginho was rewarded for his exploits in 2021 with third place in the Ballon d'Or vote, finishing behind only Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski in the race for the prestigious award.