Simon Laner on his friend Jorginho: “A joker”

When Laner remembers the time he spent with his friend Jorginho at Hellas Verona, he smiles: “A smart guy who talks all the time.” However, he is not the only one in Italy's selection that the Merano native knows very well: also about Giorgio He has a lot to tell Chiellini. Laner has packed all of this into this personal commentary, with which he takes a look at the European Championship final between Italy and England.

For me there is a clear favorite on Sunday. If you look at the last games between Italy and England, the Azzurri have significantly better cards. Sure, England have a strong squad and a great attack. But Italy's group is better - and they play great football. Sometimes you would think that they have been playing together for 10 years because they have such a great bond. And there's something else that speaks for the Squadra Azzurra: Italy has the more technically adept team, especially in midfield. I only see England a little better in the attack.

England's strikers will have anything but an easy time against the Italian defense. Harry Kane is a similar type of player to Romelu Lukaku: he often likes to get the ball in midfield, he also has a strong physique and can therefore hold and distribute the ball. But none of this will be easy for him against Italy's central defense with Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci. The two will probably act a little more offensively, man-mark Kane and not let him come into the game. The full-backs then have the difficult task of keeping England's wings in check. Italy has lost an important player in Leonardo Spinazzola, but as I said: As a team you can fight back - and this year the outstanding team spirit is Italy's biggest asset.

Simon Laner was already in place with these two Italian stars: Jorginho (l.) and Giorgio Chiellini. © APA/afp / MATT DUNHAM

One of my friends from the old days, Jorginho, is on the pitch in the Azzurri midfield. I had the pleasure of playing with him at Hellas Verona for two years. He was still young back then, only 22 years old, but he always had the quality that he shows on the field today. He's always two moves ahead and always knows what's going to happen next. He reads the game like few others. Would I have believed him capable of taking this leap? Safe in terms of quality. The only thing he lacked at the time was his physicality. But a smart player knows where he needs to improve and Jorginho is an incredibly smart guy. At Hellas he was one of the best on the field. That was his springboard, after which he moved to Napoli, where he became a star. Chiellini was already the physical monster back then His nicknames always make me smile. He was only called “Il professore” after our time together, but “Radio Jorginho” – that definitely applies. He's always talking, both on and off the field. He's a great boy who likes to cause a bit of trouble, doesn't take everything too seriously, and is a real joker. But when it comes down to it, he's always 100 percent focused. This mix makes him a wonderful teammate. At Verona we worked together really well. I was responsible for winning the ball and gave the ball to Jorginho, who then led the build-up game.

I also had the honor of playing with Giorgio Chiellini. We became European champions together. That was in 2003, in Liechtenstein, with the U19s. There were also other calibers like Alberto Aquilani and Giampaolo Pazzini in the squad. Back then, Chiellini was already the physical monster he is today. Like me, he's a bit older and no longer has the liveliness he used to have, but he's still incredibly present on the field. He has this mix of aggressiveness, calmness and seriousness and is therefore still one of the best in his position.

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Simon Laner on his friend Jorginho: “A joker”

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