Arsenal: Jorginho reveals he could no longer tolerate Mikel Arteta’s methods
Former Arsenal midfielder Jorginho has revealed he left the club given that he could no longer tolerate Mikel Arteta’s tactical methods, stating he needed to locate joy in football elsewhere after feeling reduced to a supporting role during his two seasons at the Emirates.
The Italian international, who joined Arsenal from Chelsea in 2023, made 79 appearances for the Gunners but only started 27 of those matches, a fact that contributed to his declining motivation and sense of importance to the team.
Jorginho explained his decision to depart as a free agent last summer in an interview with The Times, saying: “I want to feel alive and important for the team. When a player is not on the pitch, it’s hard to keep motivated. I felt I needed to go somewhere where I was going to play with joy.”
Beyond his limited playing time, Jorginho criticized Arteta’s intense focus on set-piece preparation, comparing it to mundane schoolwork that detracted from the spontaneous beauty of football.
“It does feel like homework, that’s the reality. But when you do your homework and then you have the test, you have a decent result,” Jorginho said, acknowledging the effectiveness of Arsenal’s set-piece strategy while arguing it came at the expense of broader footballing expression.
He added: “I think people are realizing now the importance of set pieces… Why is it a problem to focus and work more on it, when you obtain the results from that which make everybody happy? But the thing is, if you focus just on this, and then you forget about the football side, then of course, you’re not going to have lovely football. So I think it’s all about balance.”
The Brazilian-born former Italy international joined Flamengo on a free transfer after his Arsenal exit, seeking to rediscover his passion for the game in his home country.
Jorginho emphasized he holds no grudge against Arteta, but his comments highlight the growing debate over Arsenal’s tactical approach under the Spaniard, which has yielded strong results in the Premier League but drawn criticism for being overly reliant on dead-ball situations.
As Arsenal continue to challenge for major honors, the balance between tactical discipline and expressive football remains a central talking point among players and observers alike.
The Gunners’ next Premier League match is against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, a potential title decider that will test whether Arteta’s methods can deliver the ultimate prize.
Share your thoughts on Jorginho’s comments and Arsenal’s tactical approach in the comments below.
