The midfielder was a standout performer for both club and country en route to their title success this year.
Jorginho winning the Ballon d’Or ahead of Lionel Messi “would be deserved”, in the view of former Chelsea and Italy forward Gianfranco Zola.
Chelsea won the Champions League last season beating Premier League rivals Manchester City while Italy defeated England to lift the Euro 2020 trophy earlier this month.
Dictating play from the middle of the park, Jorginho is a common factor of both the teams while he was also a driving force being their achievements. The 29-year-old’s heroics have helped him emerge as a strong contender for the 2021 Golden Ball.
On the other hand, many consider Messi as the clear favorite to win the coveted prize, with the forward having guided Argentina to Copa America glory to win his first major international trophy.
Zola, however, happens to be not one of those people as he feels his countryman should be handed the biggest individual award in European football.
“Now we are talking about a fantastic player like Messi who did extraordinary things for the first time with his national team – and this won’t go unnoticed.
“Should they give it to Jorginho? It would be deserved. He gives concrete balance and pace to his teams. I was lucky to have him at Chelsea and I know what he does on the pitch,” he said, per Metro.
“It would be deserved because not only were his performances at a high level, but the teams he played for have been outstanding. This must be taken into account.”
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