About an hour before Arsenal’s match against Aston Villa last weekend, David Raya ran towards the touchline during a break in play. Arsenal were behind in the game and their goalkeeper was looking for guidance.
Raya, however, did not run towards the coaching staff. He wanted to talk tactics but didn’t want to talk to Mikel Arteta’s assistant team. Instead he ran towards the edge of the pitch where Jorginho was waiting for him.
Jorginho reminded Raya of his game plan with excited arm movements and wild words. He gestured up the field to the left wing and gathered the tactical instructions Raya needed. It looked for all the world as if a manager was coaching one of his players.
“I remember it very clearly,” says Jorginho. “He tried to play on the right side, so I told him to play on the left, because we had done that before. We were just discussing what we were training. He came to have this conversation and clarify the issue.
The Raya conversation was far from an isolated incident. Throughout the first half at Villa Park, Jorginho stood on the sidelines barking instructions. The record will show that he was an unused substitute, but no one there, and certainly no Arsenal player, can argue that Jorginho did not play his part.
Jorginho is not officially a player-coach, but he is clearly a player who has coached more than anyone else at Arsenal. He did it against Villa after Arteta was awarded a touchline penalty and has been doing so since joining the club suddenly from Chelsea in January.
“It’s something that comes naturally,” he says. “When Mikel is there or when he isn’t. Even more so when he’s not around. “I was just trying to support the kids, help them with advice that I could see from off the field, try to make them better.”
Arteta may not trust Jorginho’s body – Declan Rice is more likely to start in midfield – but he certainly trusts his mind, whether the Italy international is on the pitch or not. On Friday, the Arsenal manager described Jorginho as “one of the smartest players” he has ever coached.
“This is one of my greatest strengths,” says Jorginho. “My brain. Because of everything I’ve learned over the years. All I try to do is pass that on to the kids and help them grow and understand the game better.”
Jorginho’s attitude helps explain why he is such a popular figure at Arsenal. He is one of the jokers in the dressing room and one of the players who best understands the demands of football at this level.
“What I always try to bring is to bring that experience not only on the field, but off the field as well,” he says. “I pay attention to the details in his life, talk to the kids when I see things, and try to make everyone better. Everyone can improve. If you improve one percent, two percent, three percent, and I can help with that, you’ll be closer to winning in the end.
“The team and players understand the game better every day. They listen, observe, try to learn.”
Jorginho, who got engaged in style this week, has an almost fatherly tone when he talks like this. But he is only 31 years old and still has a lot to offer as a footballer. He rarely let Arsenal down when he played. In fact, he quickly managed to gain the trust of the club’s fans, many of whom were initially unsure of his arrival.
These doubts were understandable, given the difficulties experienced by previous players who switched Chelsea for Arsenal, but they were quickly replaced by respect for Jorginho’s technical quality. Most fans now accept that he is a much-needed wise leader in a young and emotional team.
Jorginho did not expect to be an Arsenal player as January drew to a close last season. There are just two days left until the £12 million deal goes through. “Honestly, I didn’t see this coming,” he says, laughing. “I think this happened in less than 48 hours. Very very fast.
“I saw the opportunity to work on a great project, to build a team, and I felt like they wanted me to develop them, bring good energy. I didn’t have to think too much.”
One of Jorginho’s many messages to his teammates was that, in his words, “anything is possible.” That’s easy to say with a resume like his. Jorginho was 15 when he moved from Brazil to Verona and was living on 20 euros a week in a former convent. From his difficult start to life in Europe, his achievements were remarkable.
In one year from spring 2021, he won the Champions League, Super Cup, Club World Cup and European Championship. He also finished third in the Ballon d’Or. He can never be accused of failing to maximize his talent.
“It was a little crazy,” he says of that golden period. “I didn’t see this coming either. I didn’t have time to stop and realize what was happening because everything happens so fast in life and especially in football. This was too much; It was too much in a row.
“It didn’t change me. I don’t think I will change at this age. What happened is very surprising. When you look back, you see that all the effort you put in was worth it. “I can share this with my teammates, my friends, my kids, everyone.”
We can be sure that the Arsenal players will be ready to listen and absorb everything. Few footballers have experienced what Jorginho has experienced, and few are so willing to use what they have learned to guide those around them. Jorginho may not be a manager in name, but for Arsenal he is one in reality.