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Jorginho’s agent wants him to continue taking penalties for Italy despite his recent spot-kick malaise as he made a bizarre claim that only one in 10 spot-kicks will be scored in a decade’s time.
The Arsenal midfielder missed his fourth consecutive penalty with the Azzurri on Friday night in their 5-2 win over North Macedonia and has drawn criticism from Italian football legends.
Beppe Bergomi, a 1982 World Cup winner, urged Jorginho to ‘bow down’ and said ‘enough is enough’ after he eclipsed Alessandro ‘Spillo’ Altobelli’s unwanted record, who missed three straight spot-kicks.
And agent Joao Santos told TMW: ‘I hope he steps up and takes it, he is a professional. Penalties are always a lottery, and there’s always a goalkeeper to beat.
Jorginho has now failed to convert four penalties in a row for Italy despite his stellar reputation
His agent, Joao Santos, has backed him to take the next penalty – and also made a bizarre claim about future spot-kicks
‘Goalkeepers have improved a lot in recent years. And they study all the moves of the penalty takers. Today, it is more difficult to score than it is to make mistakes.
‘In 10 years’ time, only one in ten penalties will go in.
‘[There will be] new technology, studies, techniques. It’s not easy to score a penalty.’
He joked that he would be happy for his client to miss a spot-kick every game if it meant Italy won 5-2, but added: ‘Jokes aside, only those who take penalties miss penalties.’
Jorginho has one of the most distinctive penalty-taking techniques in football, consisting of a hop just before striking the ball to put goalkeepers off.
Traditionally it has worked wonders and he has scored 15 of his last 16 at club level, showing that he is still ice-cool.
But Italy and Inter Milan legend Bergomi thinks that his time has come for the national side. He said: ‘That style of taking spot-kicks just does not work anymore and today we got confirmation beyond doubt.
‘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.’
Italy legend Beppe Bergomi believes it is time for Jorginho to relinquish his responsibilities
Jorginho’s tame effort was saved by North Macedonia goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievsk
Italy manager Luciano Spalletti backed his ‘special’ penalty taker and told him that he will retain the duty
If Jorginho were to be taken off the duty, he could be replaced by somebody such as Domenico Berardi.
The winger converted seven of his eight penalties for Sassuolo last season and scored the first penalty for Italy in the Euro 2020 final shootout against England.
Spalletti got behind his midfielder, saying: ”Jorginho should be congratulated [for his performance against North Macedonia]. He did not angle the ball very well but the goalkeeper made a good save.
‘He remains a special penalty taker for Italy. I told him that he will take the next penalty as well and he said yes.’
