Lothar Matthaus has noted in a column for Sky Germany that Jorginho deserves the Ballon d’Or over Liverpool star Mohamed Salah as the midfielder delivered for Chelsea and Italy.
Salah and Jorginho are in the running to win the prestigious honour for 2021 after making the final 30-man shortlist. France Football will announce the winner of the most-coveted individual award in football on November 29 at a Paris ceremony.
The Liverpool and Chelsea players face strong competition from Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski, among many, for the Ballon d’Or. Salah scored 31 goals in 51 games for the Reds last season, while Jorginho won the Champions League.
Jorginho also helped Italy win Euro 2020, while Salah has started the season sensationally with 15 goals in 12 games. But the Egyptian’s efforts at Anfield do not convince Matthaus that he deserves the Ballon d’Or over the Blues’ midfielder.
“What Klopp’s superstar Salah has been delivering for a few months is of course absolutely world-class,” Matthaus wrote. “It is quite possible that this will help him a lot in his choice of world footballer. But that was not the case for the whole year.
“In the spring, he and Liverpool had serious problems. Candidate Jorginho from Chelsea has been convincing for almost the entire last season and played a key role in winning the Champions League and the European Championship with Italy.
“He’s not as spectacular as Lewandowski, whom I personally keep my fingers crossed for the most. This time, however, he lacks the international title. Messi won the Copa America with Argentina, but achieved nothing great with Barcelona. There are no top favourites.”
Does Chelsea’s Jorginho deserve Ballon d’Or over Liverpool’s Salah?
Matthaus is right to note Salah had a less productive period for Liverpool at the start of the year. The Egyptian only scored four goals in 13 Premier League appearances between New Years’ Day and the end of March. But the 29-year-old has been almost unstoppable since.
He ended the campaign with five goals in nine games, and already has 10 in nine this term. Salah has additionally only not scored in one of Liverpool’s top-flight fixtures this season. He has also provided assists in his last three outings and scored in each of his Champions League appearances. While Jorginho has started nine of 12 outings in all competitions.
Jorginho, who joined Chelsea from Napoli for £50m in 2018, also started all seven of Italy’s Euro 2020 fixtures. After opening 36 of 43 appearances for the Stamford Bridge natives last term, scoring eight times and assisting twice. Ending the campaign as the Blues’ top-scorer in the Premier League with seven goals – all penalties – while keeping play ticking over.
Both Liverpool’s Salah and Chelsea’s Jorginho will feel they deserve to win the Ballon d’Or Matthaus feels is wide open. But the Italian’s Euro 2020 and Champions League success may sway voting in his favour. No matter how sensationally Salah has started the season.
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