Jorginho admits he lost 'joy' for football under Mikel Arteta at Arsenal

Jorginho has revealed that his departure from Arsenal as a free agent last summer was driven by a fundamental need to rediscover his happiness on the pitch. After making the switch from Chelsea to Arsenal in 2023, the veteran midfielder found himself increasingly used as a squad player rather than a regular starter, which ultimately took a toll on his mental approach to the game. He signed for Flamengo on a free transfer after his Arsenal exit was confirmed.

“I want to feel alive and important for the team,” Jorginho explained in an interview with The Times. “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.” The midfielder managed 79 appearances for the Gunners, though only 27 of those came as a starter.

Beyond his individual playing time, Jorginho also shed light on the intensive tactical environment established by Arteta. Arsenal have become famous for their meticulous approach to set-pieces, a strategy that Jorginho compares to mundane schoolwork, even if it does yield tangible results on the scoreboard.

“It does feel like homework, that’s the reality. But when you do your homework and then you have the test, you have a good result,” Jorginho noted. “I think people are realising now the importance of set pieces… Why is it a problem to focus and work more on it, when you get the results from that which make everybody happy?”

The Italian midfielder suggested that the extreme focus on set-piece routines may be coming at a cost to Arsenal's identity as a free-flowing attacking side. He warned that a hyper-focus on specific data-driven outcomes can lead to a decline in the "beautiful" football that fans and players often crave during the heat of a Premier League title race.

Jorginho added, "But the thing is, 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. Maybe, because when you focus so much on results and you hyperfocus on one thing, which is set pieces now, then maybe the other part, the football, is a bit forgotten, let’s say. But football is always in evolution."

As Arsenal continue their pursuit of a first Premier League trophy in over two decades, Jorginho offered some advice for his former team-mates. He believes that the psychological weight of previous failures needs to be discarded if the Gunners are finally to get over the line.

Reflecting on their chances as the season nears its dramatic climax, he said: “I hope they forget about the last few years, because if they think about it, then they could put pressure on themselves. I think they just should realise how strong they are and what a strong position they are in.”

Arsenal currently sits top of the Premier League, holding a six-point lead over Manchester City. However, City have a game in hand, adding immense pressure to the highly anticipated showdown between the two teams at the Etihad Stadium this coming Sunday.