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Marcello Lippi has named Chelsea star Jorginho as his preferred candidate to win this year's Ballon d'Or. The former Italy national team manager believes the midfielder has won "everything" and insists he deserves to win the award.
France Football is scheduled to reveal the winner of this year's Ballon d'Or on 29th November. PSG superstar Lionel Messi, Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, Real Madrid frontman Karim Benzema and Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah have all been tipped for the award by many.
Another player who is considered a strong candidate for this year's Ballon d'Or is Chelsea midfielder Jorginho. The 29-year-old helped Thomas Tuchel's side win the Champions League last season. He also played a key role in Italy's European Championship triumph in the summer.
The two important pieces of silverware mean Jorginho is former Italy national team boss Lippi's favored candidate for the Ballon d'Or award. The 73-year-old insisted that the midfielder deserves to win the accolade, having won "everything" this season.
Jorginho missed from the spot as Italy were held to a 1-1 draw by Switzerland in the World Cup qualifiers on Friday. However, that should not prevent the former Napoli star from receiving the recognition he deserves, according to Lippi. The Italian told Tutto Mercato Web:
“Despite the mistake from the penalty spot yesterday, I would give it to Jorginho. He has won everything and when one wins everything, it’s right that he gets this recognition. There are great champions who have won little or nothing, then champions who have won everything and must be rewarded.”
While Lippi feels Jorginho deserves the Ballon d'Or this year, it remains to be seen if France Football thinks the same.
How does Jorginho compare to other Ballon d'Or favorites?
Jorginho scored eight goals and provided two assists in 43 appearances for Chelsea last season. The midfielder played a key role in the Blues' Champions League triumph. The 29-year-old was also an integral part of the Italy team that won the European Championship in the summer.
PSG star Messi is another strong candidate for this year's Ballon d'Or. The Argentinean scored 38 goals and provided 14 assists from 47 matches in his final campaign for Barcelona.
Many believe Bayern Munich frontman Lewandowski deserves to bag the award this time around. He scored 48 goals and provided nine assists in 40 appearances for Bayern Munich last term. The 33-year-old has taken his fine form into the new season, scoring 22 goals and providing two assists from 16 matches already. He also scored three goals for Poland at the European Championship.
