Jeremie Boga

[killer1257 3,282]

Would be horrible

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Jeremie Boga interview: Every time there’s a one-against-one, then I take it

https://theathletic.com/1683869/2020/03/19/jeremie-boga-chelsea-sassuolo-interview/

Sassuolo are 2-0 up against Brescia when the news begins to filter through.

It’s around 8pm on Monday, March 9, and the debate between the league and the players’ union is drawing to a close. A decision has been taken. Serie A is about to suspend the championship until further notice.

Jeremie Boga doesn’t know that yet.

Hemmed in on the left-hand touchline, he is untangling himself from the spidery legs of Brescia’s Finland striker Simon Skrabb. Just inside the opposition’s half, he manages to wriggle free and get into his stride and suddenly, there’s no stopping him. “Maybe (over) the first 10m, I’m the fastest (on the team),” Boga tells The Athletic. “But long distance, Gregoire (Defrel) and the other Jeremy (Toljan) probably are.”

As the Ivory Coast international approaches the penalty area, Andrea Papetti, Brescia’s centre-back, must know what’s coming. His coach Diego Lopez presumably flagged Boga’s tendencies up during a video analysis session over the weekend.

The thing with Boga, Lopez will have explained, is he loves to come inside onto his right foot and curl one into the far top corner. Don’t let that happen. But Papetti can’t stop it from happening. He’s a 17-year-old kid and this is his Serie A debut in a defence that has been leaking goals all season.

Papetti wants to show Boga down the line. Every defender wants to show Boga down the line. But Boga has this knack of telling them: “Not today” and the next thing you know, he’s taking you inside and Lopez is thinking, “Here we go again”. Boga has Papetti right where he wants him. He’s on his stronger foot and he can see the top corner. This is what he’s been working on all season.

“Both better decision-making and being more decisive,” Boga, 23, explains. “That’s really what people look for in my position because the dribbling has been there my whole career but people only see it now because maybe there’s more goals and there’s more assists.”

The shot whooshes past goalkeeper Jesse Joronen and only decelerates when it hits the net. It is Boga’s fourth goal in six appearances.

For the moment, it is also the last goal of the Serie A season. While the league hopes to resume in May, we can’t be certain there will be anymore even that soon.

Currently locked down in his home about a 10-minute drive from Sassuolo’s training ground, Boga was in the form of his career and starting to realise the potential he showed in an all-conquering Chelsea youth team with Ola Aina, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Fikayo Tomori and Tammy Abraham. “I think our generation was one of the best Chelsea ever had,” he says over a cappuccino. “We had so many talented players. It was not easy but every weekend, we were so used to winning 2-0 or 3-0.”

Seeing the club undergo a shift in mentality under Frank Lampard this season and turn a transfer ban into an opportunity to promote from within brings a smile to Boga’s face. He remains in touch with his old team-mates from Cobham via Snapchat and WhatsApp. “If I score or do something, they say well done,” he says.

Aina, the Chelsea player with whom Boga is closest, knows firsthand what a fine season the kid he used to play behind and cover for is enjoying. “You can see his reaction,” Boga points out, as we rewatch the January goal against Torino he considers to be the best of his career so far.

As usual, Boga drifts inside onto his right; only this time, he nutmegs Tomas Rincon, the mastiff in the middle of the Torino midfield, and detonates a shot that brings the house down. His pal Aina, playing left wing-back for the visitors, is helpless to do anything about it. He turns and throws his hands up in disbelief.

“I think he was angry because of the game (Torino ended up losing 2-1 having scored first), so he just said, ‘Well done, good game’. I said, ‘OK, you too’ because I knew if I were him and I’d lost like this, even if he’d scored a good goal, I’d just congratulate him. But not over the top.”

When Chelsea sold Boga to Sassuolo for €3 million 18 months ago, a buy-back clause was a condition of the agreement. The Athletic understands it has subsequently been increased to around the €20 million mark with the removal of a sell-on percentage.

His progress is being closely tracked and understandably so. I mean, when Boga makes Gigi Buffon look silly, sitting the legendary Juventus goalkeeper down and nonchalantly dinking the ball over his head at the Allianz Stadium in December, it kind of makes him hard to ignore. “This one just came with instinct,” he says, watching it back. “I don’t know how to describe it. My first thought was (to shoot) hard across the goal then, I don’t know, last minute it came to me and I changed my mind.”

Already up to eight goals for the season, Boga is no longer just a dribbler. But the art-form he learned in the streets of Marseille remains at the heart his game. Growing up in Bengale, the same neighbourhood as Marseille’s current centre-back Boubacar Kamara, when Boga wasn’t at home with his brothers and sister, he was on the asphalt playing a game called Coupe du Monde (World Cup). “It’s everybody against each other and you have to dribble to score. So since I was little, it’s always been one-against-one and trying to get open.”

The dream was to follow in the footsteps of other kids from Marseille, such as the Ayew brothers and Samir Nasri, and reach the top of the professional game. Sat in front of the TV with a plate of attieke, the Ivorian cassava dish his mother used to make, Boga got excited watching Hatem Ben Arfa, his future Chelsea team-mate Eden Hazard and, of course, Lionel Messi. Flash forward to the present and he’s the best dribbler in Serie A. In fact, you might say he’s in a league of his own. Boga is averaging 7.59 dribbles per 90. At the time Serie A shut down, he’d made 167 dribbles — 60 more than the next guy, Bologna winger Riccardo Orsolini.

“That’s my style,” Boga explains, “but over the years, I think I’ve improved. Before, I used to force it. If there were three players, I’d still try and do something. Now, if there are three players, I’ll look for a one-two or a pass. But every time there’s a one-against-one for me, an opportunity to go past a player, then I take it.” The softly-spoken Boga is maturing as a player. Gym habits learned at Cobham remain. “Core and leg strength to keep my speed and explosiveness. Since Chelsea, we always work on that.”

Where he’s looked to add to his game is not just in front of goal but in his off-the-ball work too. “My movement can always improve because the better my movement becomes, the more chances you’re going to create for yourself or for your team-mates.”

His attitude to defending has changed with time as well. “I think it’s positioning. But it’s mostly mental. If the right-back is off again, you have to go with him. If you don’t and they score, it’s your fault. That’s what I learned. If you want to play, you have to defend hard like everybody else. It’s not because I’m a winger or that I play high up the pitch that I cannot defend. I don’t have the choice. You have to defend.”

Moving to Sassuolo was the best decision Boga could have made at this stage of his career. The club have punched above their weight for years through great scouting, networking and the willingness to hand opportunities to up-and-coming coaches (including Max Allegri and Eusebio di Francesco) and talented young players. Away from the spotlight — Sassuolo’s population wouldn’t fill the San Siro — and without the history and expectation of the Emilia Romagna region’s other big clubs Bologna and Parma, the less-pressurised environment is perfect for honing one’s craft and nurturing top prospects.

Players go there believing it’s a stepping stone to elite clubs such as Juventus (Merih Demiral and Simone Zaza), Inter Milan (Stefano Sensi and Matteo Politano), Barcelona (Kevin-Prince Boateng) and Atletico Madrid (Sime Vrsaljko), or a way back to a Chelsea (Boga), a Borussia Dortmund (Toljan) or AC Milan (Manuel Locatelli). “It’s a top club for young players who want to have game time or have a team where they can come and impress and then go to a bigger team,” Boga says. “Sassuolo is the perfect club for them.”

The new training ground is state of the art and Roberto De Zerbi, the current coach, is tipped to follow Allegri and Di Francesco into a big job. His contract expires in the summer and Boga says “he’s up there” in comparison with the coaches he trained under at Chelsea, a list that includes Rafa Benitez, Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte.

Boga enjoys the short-sided games De Zerbi organises in training. “We do a lot of five-a-sides or 10-v-10s but in half the pitch, possessions in small areas, possessions in big areas but never in big, big areas. You have to think quick because if not, someone is pressuring you already. The mister (coach) has a good relationship with everyone. He’s tough. He’s always on to you but it’s for the best. After the work is done, he smiles, he laughs.”

Whether De Zerbi joins in with the players in making fun of Marlon, one of the centre-backs, is unclear. The Brazilian is often the butt of the jokes in the dressing room. “(Domenico) Berardi is on him every day.” Whether it’s the music Boga and Marlon play — “they don’t like my taste (French rap) but we have the booth” — or the Brazilian’s fashion sense — “he’ll dress really nice, put on a nice top and everything, then wear his dirty gym trainers” — Berardi knows no mercy. The vice-captain doesn’t come across as a joker but Boga insists he’s the life and soul of the training ground.

What the future holds for Boga remains to be seen. Higher-profile interest in him is percolating within Italy but Chelsea, no doubt mindful of what happened with his wideman predecessors Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah, still have a say. “When you become that good, it means it was always inside of you. So for me, I know it’s inside of me. So I just need the time to show it or maybe make the right decision, like coming here to the Serie A.”

The situation has changed at Stamford Bridge since he left. A once-congested pathway is now beginning to clear.

“When I was there, it was Willian, Hazard, Pedro,” Boga recalls, “When Mourinho was there, it was Salah. There were a lot of good wingers. For me, it has always been if I can’t play, then I will try to go on loan or try to go somewhere to improve, then maybe come back one day.”

At the moment though, all the last goalscorer in Serie A is thinking about is when he’ll get a chance to score another one.

 

[Stats 7,056]

On 3/16/2020 at 6:36 PM, NikkiCFC said:

It is a no-brainer really. In this day in the market, his value is well over £30m. Getting him at the reported price is a bargain. He has live dup to his potential and is only getting better.

[BlueLyon 9,359]

With Pedro and Willian leaving, he should definately be brought back. He was realy promising for Conte in the begining, but then he didnt get much playtime.

[Jase 43,479]

 

[killer1257 3,282]

 

Furious right now

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2 hours ago, killer1257 said:

Furious right now

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his price now he will be sold for will be close to half  or 2/3rds max what it would have been pre-COVID

although he is right-footed LW, and we have two of those (4 counting Pedro and Willian, but they are gone soon) already

the only right footer who is arguably better at the RW than the left that we are linked to or have is Sancho, and he is great at LW as well

I am not sold at all than either Pulisic or CHO are better on the RW than the LW

we already have a wicked crosser now on the RW in our RB, Reece

crossing is the main thing that like for like helps for a winger, ie right footer can better cross from the right than the left

but scoring, it is fairly rare now to see a right footer who is better scorer on the right

Sancho has a decent left foot, so he can score from the right or the left

fucking sucks that all humans are not ambipedal

[lucio 5,418]

Pub team mentality. Letting pasalic and boga walk away and probably extending willian 

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2 hours ago, lucio said:

Pub team mentality. Letting pasalic and boga walk away and probably extending willian 

We had no choice on Mario Pašalić

we put in the option to buy for Atalanta

£13m (almost £15m with the loan fee for this season, plus they paid his whole salary) in COVID times is not bad, not great, but not complete shit (and I am the number one banger about our cocked-up sales)

IF no COVID-19 and we did not keep Boga and sell him on ourselves, I would have a fit, but it looks like we get  a sell on fee, so it is what it is (COVID will knock that down though, unless Sassuolo keeps him for the next year and then sells him into a better market)

we obviously do not rate him, or we would keep him

that is a debatable stance, but I am a bit neutral as we already have 2 right footed LW'ers (4 if you count Willian and Pedro) in Pulisic and CHO

NOW, IF CHO goes down via that rape charge, THEN not buying back and keeping Boga for at least this coming season is mental, but none of us has a crystal ball on that, and I have zero clue about how long the investigation is going to take (and then a trial, if they think he did it.)

 

[Jase 43,479]

The outrage is funny to see. 

[killer1257 3,282]

The outrage is funny to see. 

Of course. I have been watching him since he was 16 years old, watched him at Rennes and this season, I have watched around 7 Matches of him at Sassuolo. I know that he is the real deal. He is one of the best dribblers in the World and stats prove that. He is only two or three goals behind Ronaldo (without penalties) in Serie A if I remember it right.

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1 hour ago, killer1257 said:

Of course. I have been watching him since he was 16 years old, watched him at Rennes and this season, I have watched around 7 Matches of him at Sassuolo. I know that he is the real deal. He is one of the best dribblers in the World and stats prove that. He is only two or three goals behind Ronaldo (without penalties) in Serie A if I remember it right.

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Your memory needs a tuneup 

Immobile 27

CR7 21 (6 are pens)

Boga 8

Serie A top scorers 

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/italian-serie-a/top-scorers

Ciro Immobile
Lazio
81 mins per goal

2186 mins played

27Goals scored

7 Assists

Cristiano Ronaldo
Juventus
93 mins per goal

1945 mins played

21Goals scored

3 Assists

Romelu Lukaku
Inter Milan
126 mins per goal

2142 mins played

17Goals scored

2 Assists

João Pedro
Cagliari
141 mins per goal

2249 mins played

16Goals scored

2 Assists

Josip Ilicic
Atalanta
99 mins per goal

1492 mins played

15Goals scored

5 Assists

Francesco Caputo
Sassuolo
148 mins per goal

1925 mins played

13Goals scored

4 Assists

Luis Muriel
Atalanta
70 mins per goal

913 mins played

13Goals scored

0 Assists

Edin Dzeko
Roma
177 mins per goal

2124 mins played

12Goals scored

4 Assists

Duván Zapata
Atalanta
97 mins per goal

1063 mins played

11Goals scored

5 Assists

Lautaro Martínez
Inter Milan
152 mins per goal

1672 mins played

11Goals scored

1 Assists

Andrea Petagna
SPAL
198 mins per goal

2178 mins played

11Goals scored

1 Assists

Domenico Berardi
Sassuolo
179 mins per goal

1611 mins played

9Goals scored

5 Assists

Fabio Quagliarella
Sampdoria
202 mins per goal

1814 mins played

9Goals scored

2 Assists

Andrea Belotti
Torino
213 mins per goal

1916 mins played

9Goals scored

2 Assists

Arkadiusz Milik
Napoli
137 mins per goal

1235 mins played

9Goals scored

0 Assists

Felipe Caicedo
Lazio
109 mins per goal

868 mins played

8Goals scored

2 Assists

Jeremie Boga
Sassuolo
234 mins per goal

1874 mins played

8Goals scored

2 Assists

Andreas Cornelius
Parma
126 mins per goal

1009 mins played

8Goals scored

1 Assists

Marco Mancosu
Lecce
189 mins per goal

1514 mins played

8Goals scored

1 Assists

Robin Gosens
Atalanta
252 mins per goal

1766 mins played

7Goals scored

5 Assists

 

[killer1257 3,282]

Your memory needs a tuneup 
Immobile 27
CR7 21 (6 are pens)
Boga 8
Serie A top scorers 
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/italian-serie-a/top-scorers
Ciro Immobile
Lazio
81 mins per goal
2186 mins played
27Goals scored
7 Assists
Cristiano Ronaldo
Juventus
93 mins per goal
1945 mins played
21Goals scored
3 Assists
Romelu Lukaku
Inter Milan
126 mins per goal
2142 mins played
17Goals scored
2 Assists
João Pedro
Cagliari
141 mins per goal
2249 mins played
16Goals scored
2 Assists
Josip Ilicic
Atalanta
99 mins per goal
1492 mins played
15Goals scored
5 Assists
Francesco Caputo
Sassuolo
148 mins per goal
1925 mins played
13Goals scored
4 Assists
Luis Muriel
Atalanta
70 mins per goal
913 mins played
13Goals scored
0 Assists
Edin Dzeko
Roma
177 mins per goal
2124 mins played
12Goals scored
4 Assists
Duván Zapata
Atalanta
97 mins per goal
1063 mins played
11Goals scored
5 Assists
Lautaro Martínez
Inter Milan
152 mins per goal
1672 mins played
11Goals scored
1 Assists
Andrea Petagna
SPAL
198 mins per goal
2178 mins played
11Goals scored
1 Assists
Domenico Berardi
Sassuolo
179 mins per goal
1611 mins played
9Goals scored
5 Assists
Fabio Quagliarella
Sampdoria
202 mins per goal
1814 mins played
9Goals scored
2 Assists
Andrea Belotti
Torino
213 mins per goal
1916 mins played
9Goals scored
2 Assists
Arkadiusz Milik
Napoli
137 mins per goal
1235 mins played
9Goals scored
0 Assists
Felipe Caicedo
Lazio
109 mins per goal
868 mins played
8Goals scored
2 Assists
Jeremie Boga
Sassuolo
234 mins per goal
1874 mins played
8Goals scored
2 Assists
Andreas Cornelius
Parma
126 mins per goal
1009 mins played
8Goals scored
1 Assists
Marco Mancosu
Lecce
189 mins per goal
1514 mins played
8Goals scored
1 Assists
Robin Gosens
Atalanta
252 mins per goal
1766 mins played
7Goals scored
5 Assists
 

Thanks. But there was a time where my stat was true lol. 7 goals difference is not bad, especially because Ronaldo plays for Juventus and Boga for Sassuolo


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4 hours ago, killer1257 said:

Thanks. But there was a time where my stat was true lol. 7 goals difference is not bad, especially because Ronaldo plays for Juventus and Boga for Sassuolo


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That is only the case if you utterly discount pens. Pens have never been automatic, and CR7 has earned many of his pens thoughout his career via his own play.

It is like saying a basketball player who is fouled a lot shouldn't have his free throws count towards his scoring average.

[MoroccanBlue 5,306]

Maybe we want Havertz 

[killer1257 3,282]

That is only the case if you utterly discount pens. Pens have never been automatic, and CR7 has earned many of his pens thoughout his career via his own play.
It is like saying a basketball player who is fouled a lot shouldn't have his free throws count towards his scoring average.

Boga has also won penalties for his team, but he does not have the authority to shoot them. So he can't score them. Even when CR7 has nothing to do with the foul in the penalty box, he shoots it. If I compared let's say Lampard with KDB, I would exclude penalties out of the stats because Lamps was shooting them all the time, while KDB only shoots pens once in a while.Sometimes Aguero takes pens, sometimes KDB and sometimes Gündogan takes pens.

I do not know anything about Basketball. I do not know if only the fouled player has to throw free throws or any player in the team can throw it for the whole team regardless who was fouled. If I had to guess, I think the fouled player has to throw it because why should Shaq have thrown any free throws for the team when he was so bad at it lol.
If it is just like in Football, I would not count it either. I only watch football, MMA and boxing in the same order, so I can't make a real opinion on basketball rules either. Know shit about basketball

Now you might say what about free Kicks then? I can guarantee you that I can easily score a penalty, but will not score any free kicks at all. Way more skill needed.

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[NikkiCFC 7,953]

 

[killer1257 3,282]

 

Most stupid thing ever

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