Arsenal star Jorginho, 32, reveals shock retirement plan and admits ‘I’m in trouble’ after getting taste for new job
ARSENAL ace Jorginho revealed he is planning to transition to coaching after his retirement.
The 32-year-old has become a key figure in the Gunners’ dressing room ever since his arrival from rivals Chelsea in January 2023.
And the new surroundings at the Emirates changed his mind on something he was adamantly against for many years.
The midfielder insisted that he doesn’t want to become a manager once he rolls credits on his career.
Arsenal chiefs asked him if he wanted to pursue coaching badges upon his arrival and he initially declined as he stayed true to his previous assertions.
The Italy international, however, ultimately caved in and started gaining his credentials.
And the ex-Napoli star soon found himself “in trouble” as he ended up enjoying the experience and now looks set to follow in the footsteps of his current boss Mikel Arteta.
Jorginho told the Seaman Says podcast: “Because of how I am and how much I love the game, my friends back home, my family, since I was 18 or 19, they were always like, ‘You’re going to be a coach’.
“And I was like, ‘No way, I want to be involved in football, but no hope or chance I’ll be a coach’.
“Then I came to Arsenal and they asked me if you wanted to do badges and I said, ‘No, I don’t want to be a coach’.
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“After some encouragement I did them and in the first session I was saying, ‘Oh no why did I do this, now I’m in trouble’. And I think I I’ll go for it [a coaching career] now.
“To be on the pitch, with the players, I fell in love with it. It was so satisfying, when you see things coming up and working out how you expected, it was so good.
“Being on the pitch, seeing the stuff there is different, but it’s really good.”
Jorginho has amassed a total of one goal and three assists in 52 appearances at Arsenal.
The Italian is likely to start on Sunday’s North London Derby at Tottenham as Declan Rice is suspended, Mikel Merino is injured and captain Martin Odegaard poses as a major doubt.