After Jorginho of Arsenal missed a penalty kick during Italy’s 5-2 victory over North Macedonia in the UEFA Euro 2024 match, former Italy star Beppe Bergomi strongly cautioned the midfielder to think twice before taking another one.
The Azzurri jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the Italian city after an intense first half thanks to goals from Federico Chiesa and Matteo Darmian. But Jorginho’s previous struggles from the spot since the victory over England in the Euro 2020 final were exacerbated by his missed penalty in the 40th minute, which was saved by Stole Dimitrievski of Macedonia.
Jorginho and mistakes
Italy paid a heavy price for his third straight mistake, which included two stops by Switzerland’s Jann Sommer in pivotal games that ended in draws. Italy ultimately finished second in their FIFA World Cup 2022 group as a result of these defeats, preventing them from qualifying for the tournament again.
The 1982 World Cup winner, Bergomi, has bluntly stated that Jorginho’s penalty-taking strategy is out of date and has recommended that the midfielder for Arsenal give up his spot-kick duties. Bergomi claims that Jorginho’s method is no longer relevant in today’s game, which has sparked debate on whether Arsenal should modify their penalty policy.
Bergomi shared; “We can appreciate his character and mental strength in going up there again, but I’d say now enough is enough. He has to go to the coach and say let someone else take the next one.” an article from sportskeeda.com mentioned.
More Goals
Jorginho, an Arsenal midfielder, has demonstrated his ability for Italy by scoring five goals and providing two assists in 49 games. Interestingly, he scored three goals in UEFA Euro qualification games and two in the UEFA Nations League during pivotal matchups.
A 1-1 friendly match against Spain in 2016 marked the start of his adventure, but it was his competitive debut against Sweden in the 2018 FIFA World Cup playoffs that proved to be a turning point and ultimately ended Italy’s campaign. On the international front, Jorginho’s noteworthy performances underscore his significance for both club and nation.
Cover Photo: WIKI