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Euro 2020: Old Juve’s Team of the Tournament

By James Cormack

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 11: Leonardo Bonucci (L) of Italy celebrates with Federico Chiesa after scoring their side's first goal during the UEFA Euro 2020 Championship Final between Italy and England at Wembley Stadium on July 11, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by GES-Sportfoto/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 11: Leonardo Bonucci (L) of Italy celebrates with Federico Chiesa after scoring their side's first goal during the UEFA Euro 2020 Championship Final between Italy and England at Wembley Stadium on July 11, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by GES-Sportfoto/Getty Images) /
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CM – Jorginho

Jorginho proved an effective controller throughout the tournament. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images)
Jorginho proved an effective controller throughout the tournament. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images) /

While his tournament ended with overwhelming relief after having his spot-kick saved by Jordan Pickford in the final shootout, there’s no doubting that Jorginho was the outstanding regista of the summer.

He was Mancini’s dictator at the base of midfield and in the slower-paced tempo of international football, Jorginho thrived. Only Aymeric Laporte (674!) completed more passes than the Chelsea man (512) in the tournament, while Jorginho registered tournament-highs in distance covered (86.6km), interceptions (25) and fouls won (19).

Italy’s triumph meant Jorginho became just the tenth player in history to lift the Champions League and Euros in the same season.

CM – Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg

Tottenham’s Viking enjoyed a quite brilliant tournament all the way up to Denmark’s semi-final elimination.

He took to the more aggressive midfield role offered to him by Hjulmand like a kid in a candy store as he developed a well-balanced partnership with Thomas Delaney. However, it was Hojbjerg’s defensive nous, demonic intensity and underrated technical ability that set him apart from his midfield partner.

The Dane created eight chances (joint-fourth most in the tournament), notched three assists and made a tournament-high 51 defensive recoveries.

CM – Pedri

“Look, guys, it’s Andres Iniesta!!!” (Photo by Diego Souto/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
“Look, guys, it’s Andres Iniesta!!!” (Photo by Diego Souto/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images) /

It’s Andres Iniesta but with low socks and a skin fade. The resemblance is freakishly uncanny.

The Iniesta comparisons have followed Pedri around ever since he burst onto the scene with Las Palmas but at 18, the kid’s doing things that Iniesta was dreaming of doing at that age. He was Spain’s x-factor this summer, racking up 629 minutes of action from Spain’s six games.

While the teenager failed to notch a single goal or assist, he created the third-most chances at the tournament (12) and completed a staggering 429 of the 465 passes attempted at the tournament. Through his smart positioning in the left half-space, overwhelming technical ability and persistence out of possession, Pedri was able to dominate and outwit all the midfielders he matched up against this summer, including Modric and Jorginho.

He’s a sure bet to be the face of this Spain side for the next decade.

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