As Kairat prepare for their biggest challenge of the season—hosting Real Madrid tonight in the Champions League—striker Jorginho spoke to Marca about the mindset required to face the 15-time European champions.
For Jorginho, fear has no place in football.
“We can’t be afraid of a football match. It’s not a war. We’re not fighting, and the other guys don’t have guns to shoot at us. There’s no reason to be afraid,” he said. “Enjoy, be responsible, be competitive, and give your best. Of course, they’re the favorites. Everyone expects us to lose 10–0, so we’ll try to pull off an upset. That’s our motivation because everyone expects us to be humiliated.”
The 27-year-old forward emphasized that tonight’s clash, while historic, is just one step in a much larger journey.
“This game alone doesn’t mean anything if I’m bad the rest of the season. But if I keep performing, and in this game I show my qualities, my character, my personality, and bravery on the ball, then maybe it opens more doors. Football is unpredictable. The best way to take it is day by day.”
For Jorginho, every Champions League night is a gift.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s Real Madrid, PSG, Barcelona, Liverpool, Arsenal, Inter Milan—every game in this competition is special. We work hard to get here, and this is the reward. But it’s also a challenge and an opportunity to compete. Personally, I want to normalize playing games like this. I want to show I’m ready for this level.”
The occasion will grip the city as well as the club.
“The stadium will be packed. And the whole city will come to a standstill when Real Madrid are here. Even for training, people will be around the stadium. The police will have a difficult job keeping the peace,” he noted.
Jorginho also revealed the figure he’s most eager to meet isn’t one of Madrid’s current stars on the pitch, but rather their coach.
“The person I’m most excited to face—and not change shirts with, but boots—is Xabi Alonso. For me, he’s the best midfielder I’ve ever seen play. I loved him since his Liverpool days, and I always had him in my PES teams. Then, of course, I switched to Real Madrid because of Cristiano, but Xabi was always with me.”
On the current Madrid squad, Jorginho was pragmatic.
“Real Madrid is different because historically it’s the greatest club in the world. We’ll have to defend more, run more, sacrifice more. These types of games sometimes give you only one chance. If we get it, we have to kill it. For me, Carvajal, Courtois, Rüdiger, and Valverde are the best right now.”
Still, his admiration remains rooted in a previous era.
“With all due respect to Vinícius, Mbappé, and Rodrygo, they’re not the same as Cristiano, Benzema, Di María, Bale, or Özil. Cristiano is the GOAT. The best, along with Messi. They’re on the same level, but if I have to choose, it’s always Cristiano.”
