I got tired of playing boring football — Jorginho reveals he lost joy under Arteta

Former Arsenal midfielder Jorginho has admitted he left the Emirates Stadium in the summer of 2025 because he had grown tired of “boring football” and wanted to rediscover joy on the pitch.

Jorginho joined Brazilian club Flamengo on a free transfer after a mutual agreement ended his Arsenal contract, signing a deal until July 2028.

In an interview, via DAZN, Jorginho opened up on his departure and time under Arteta.

“I want to feel alive and important for the team,” Jorginho explained.

“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. I had to find a place where I could enjoy football again.”

During his two-and-a-half years at Arsenal, Jorginho made 79 appearances in all competitions, with only 27 starts.

He arrived from Chelsea in January 2023 for around £12 million and played a steady role in midfield, contributing to three successive Premier League runners-up finishes.

However, his game time subsequently diminished, leaving him on the fringes.

Jorginho also addressed Arsenal’s renowned focus on set-pieces under Arteta, a tactic that has brought consistent success but left him uninspired.

“Arteta likes to put special focus on set pieces,” he said.

“But to me it feels like boring homework. When you do your homework, you will get results. But when you put so much focus on set pieces, you won’t play beautiful football. You forget about the football.”