Jorginho says Arsenal 'should be wary' of Atalanta's Mateo Retegui

Ahead of Arsenal's Champions League opener against Atalanta on Thursday, Jorginho was asked about his thoughts on facing last season's Europa League winners. Atalanta host Arsenal at their newly-renovated Gewiss Stadium.

“I’ve been very impressed with how Atalanta have played the last few years; training together under the same roof and working towards the same goal. They deserve to be where they are and I’m happy for how they’ve grown as a club and their story is great for Italian football," said the midfielder.

On a player to look out for, the 28-year-old named Italian copatriot Mateo Retegui, who joined the Bergamo side this summer from Genoa. “[Mateo Retegui] is a very strong player, especially in the air and he’s got an eye for goal. We should be wary of the way he plays, he’s always growing, he’s always getting better. He’s a down-to-earth player - I hope everything goes well for him, maybe not on the night!” he jokingly said. The striker currently has 4 goals in 5 matches in Seria A in his first season at Atalanta.

Despite this only being Arsenal's second Champions League campaign following their 6-year drought - which came to an end in the 2023/2024 season - Jorginho insists the players are keen on the challenge. “It’s a bit different and something that we need to learn,” he said. “We’re trying to work together to get to know the competition a bit more. We’re getting better every single day. Everyone is really excited to play in this game and try to win. The hunger to win, sticking together, trying to help each other and all the work that we put together behind the scenes from the staff helps players on the pitch. That’s the key".

“It’s the first game so still a long way to go. We need to be ready because it’s definitely going to be a really tough game to start. The spirit of this group, the energy, the atmosphere in the changing room and training ground is absolutely incredible. Every day we’re happy to be at the training ground. We enjoy being there and it’s really important for what we do. It’s no coincidence the results are coming. We just need to stay on this path," Jorginho concluded.