Brazil head coach confirms talks with Napoli midfielder Jorginho
Brazil head coach Tite has confirmed he has held talks with Jorginho about his international future but insists the Napoli midfielder has to make it clear whether he wants to represent Italy or the Selecao.
Jorginho’s international future remains unclear despite the fact he has already been capped twice by Italy.
The 25-year-old has only played in friendlies for the Azzurri and would therefore still be eligible to represent the country of his birth, Brazil.
Jorginho was overlooked by Italy head coach Gian Piero Ventura in Italy’s most recent international fixtures and his agent has warned his client will represent the first country that calls on his services.
The Napoli ace is widely regarded as one of the most underrated midfielders in Europe and Tite has confirmed talks have taken place about his international future.
“I spoke personally with Jorginho after a meeting with the Federation and after I’d watched him,” Football Italia quote Tite as saying at a press conference.
“I explained the situation in detail during a phone call, and I told him he’ll have to be the one to make the decision, it’s a very important one for his career.
“Sylvinho has followed him in Italy, we’ve talked about him and his characteristics, what he could bring to the squad.
“We’ll see in the future. What makes me calm is that the lad is very clear about what we in the Brazil setup think of him.”
Only Marco Verratti (103.8) averages more passes per game in Europe’s top five leagues this season than Jorginho (101.3).