", Speaking to TNT Sports he said: "When you have a long career in Europe, your children grow up in Europe, this decision is difficult.". What stood out, do you think? If you look at Man City, theyve had a real amount of time to settle in under (Pep) Guardiola. One day, [PSG sporting director] Leonardo called me. I didnt play for him at Dynamo or Fluminense, but he was a guardian angel sent to play a big part in my life. The legendary Paolo Maldini, his former Milan (opens in new tab) team-mate, once hailed him as the only defender who can change the outcome of the game. Liverpool do, however, pose a major obstacle. I tried to copy Romario and Bebeto because they formed a legendary duo. This feature first appeared in the March 2021 issue of FourFourTwo magazine. I was heavily criticised during that World Cup over a few things: for instance, because I cried and sat on a ball by myself to pray before the shootout against Chile in the last 16. She stayed completely silent for a couple of minutes, then she rang my older brother. That is understandable, particularly given Silva's brush with death after contracting tuberculosis while on loan at Dynamo Moscow in 2006. Azpiliceuta would be an ideal choice in that regard, considering how he is much younger compared to the former PSG man. She was upset because she wasnt able to wear it, but she wanted to. How, for instance, would he react to a question over his age? We do not tend to offer long contracts to players who are in the twilight of their playing careers. Not to mention, he is also an option in the centre-back and right-wingback positions, so losing him at this point may not be in our best interests.

Subscribe now (opens in new tab) and get first five issues for just 5! As soon as the final whistle went in Portugal, I felt like that was my last appearance for the club. I dont know if Im going to get there, you never know with these things, but thats what Im preparing for in my mind.. The Blues are now waiting for a decision from Sevilla, though that could be impacted by Barcelona's ability to quickly generate funds. How much longer are you planning to play before hanging up your boots? My plan is to be at the next World Cup in 2022. FourFourTwo is supported by its audience. This year has been a great learning curve for us, weve made lots of improvements and I believe in the group we have got here, I believe in the coaching staff and the project we are putting in place. When youre being assessed, the least you can expect from coaches is to be properly watched by them.

Chelsea told 'top class' Koulibaly signing could help Tuchel challenge for title next season.

They knocked out Juan Roman Riquelmes Boca Juniors in the semi-finals, with their defensive titan scoring a header in the first legs 2-2 draw in Buenos Aires. Were you surprised to be named Chelsea captain in only your second match? That didnt last very long, as I got released when I was about to step up to the under-14 team. Who has never cried in their life? If you dont want this any more, thats all right its completely up to you. It was a complicated situation but I strongly believe those moments strengthened me as I was growing up. I said to him, Leo, I should have prepared myself for this, but you could have at least offered me something, or even asked what I wanted. I have a special chamber set up at home, where I breathe pure oxygen at high pressure that helps to increase levels in the blood. The final bit aside, I was happy and always well treated by everyone. How is it possible to be a leader without speaking the language? When they showed me the results, one of my lungs was completely white.

The time spent in Europe in Italy, France and now England had the 37-year-old saying that it's been difficult on his family and a move back home with the Brazilian giants would be a "dream.

The club is going through a bit of a rough phase due to the ownership uncertainty. To sign a new contract, for me, was the easiest decision to make, said Silva. I used to lower my head and just run straight home there was always a big relief when I got there. INTERVIEW FFT meets Denis Irwin: Nothing can top the 1999 Manchester United team but our 94 side was such a joy to play in (opens in new tab), FEATURE Chelsea: Thomas Tuchel requires firepower as his strikers fail to make grade (opens in new tab), QUIZ Can you name every British team to play in a European final?

Wembley is known around the world for being the home of the English football team - it has a status like the Stade de France and the Maracana, he said. There was a problem.

My familys place, in a favela in western Rio de Janeiro, was less than 1km away from my grandmothers and I used to play football in a square near her place until late. Before going to Lisbon, I told my agent that he could start finding a new club for me, but that he was forbidden to tell me anything until after our last Champions League game. It always seemed like if that happened, the whole season was s**t it felt over once we exited the Champions League. He had faced struggles in the past, back home but nothing could prepare him for what happened in Russia.

Find out more, Thiago Silva is showing no signs of slowing down, Thiago Silva has been a key man for Chelsea since his move to Stamford Bridge in 2020, Thiago Silva would like to finish his career at Fluminense, Thiago Silva says Chelsea will learn from this season and come back stronger next campaign, Women's Euro 2022 teams, star players and predictions - our definitive guide to the 16 countries, Euro 2022 fixtures: match dates, kick-off times and TV channel schedule, Germany secure spot in Women's Euro 2022 semi-finals after Austria goalkeeper blunder, Jesse Lingard signs for Nottingham Forest in 80,000-per-week deal, Revealed: The plan that transformed England from global laughing stock into a football superpower, PFA secures extra funding from Premier League in first negotiations since Gordon Taylor's exit, even though he will celebrate his 38th birthday in September, Off the pitch, theres been issues at the club. Hopefully, the transition is completed soon and the clubs day-to-day functioning can return to normalcy. They didnt watch my trial at all, and I was livid. But they didnt tell me straight away, so we all returned to Moscow. The Blues have added experience and quality to their squad so far this summer. At what point did Chelsea come calling? BA1 1UA. Unfortunately, were going through very difficult times right now, but I cant wait to see Stamford Bridge packed with supporters, singing their songs. Marina [Granovskaia, club director] called me after Id agreed, then passed me on to Frank. Silva used English for the only time during our half-an-hour interview to immediately shoot back no in answer to an admittedly unremarkable question over whether or not he has any early memories of watching FA Cup finals on television as a boy in Brazil. For us, it means a lot, the FA Cup final, said Silva. The morning after the final against Bayern Munich (opens in new tab), I bumped into the [PSG] president Nasser [Al-Khelaifi] in the hotel lift, and he told me that Leo wanted to talk to me again once we were back in Paris. We urge you to turn off your ad blocker for The Telegraph website so that you can continue to access our quality content in the future. The same thing happened to [Edinson] Cavani.

Sometimes I had to wait at my grandmothers place, or go to a friends house right at the entrance of that favela. I take huge pride in saying that Im a life champion, too! Sometimes I only had enough cash for either a ticket or a snack, but I had to go home! Even though Paris and London arent that far from each other, at the time it seemed like a great distance from me. It will be sensational! Last year, I decided to invest in a bigger one for $24,000, with more space to move my body and be comfortable. When assessing what adding the FA Cup to the Super Cup and the Club World Cup would represent to Chelseas campaign as a whole, Silva returned to the theme of believing the club will be in a better position to challenge Liverpool for the title, and not only in cup finals, next season. Speaking in an interview with the clubs media (h/tChelsea official website), Silva has explained the reasons why he believes Azpilicueta is the perfect example of a modern leader.

The room was very tiny, with no bathroom just a hole in the floor. We know that next year we will come back even stronger because we will have had more time to adapt to his (Tuchels) methods.. Man, I wasnt there for only one season, or a few months it was an eight-year spell as a captain who lifted a number of trophies at the club. It was at Fluminense where Silva, who was born and grew up in Rio, was given a chance to restart his career following his near-death experience and the Brazilian club would represent the perfect ending for a player who has made over 700 career appearances. Since arriving on a free transfer in 2020, Thiago Silva has helped stabilise Chelseas defence and helped them win a Champions League in the process. At Chelsea, however, theres a very different atmosphere regarding European football: the club has already managed to lift that trophy, and winning the Premier League title is also one of our priorities. The centre-back has always been about beauty over brutality. But Im just really happy to be at this age, to be playing football and still performing at a good level.. What did you think?

So Ive already beaten my own expectations and thats what I will continue to do. Despite his age, Silva continues to impress under Tuchel at the heart of Chelsea's backline. [Silva wells up] This is moving for me, regardless of how many times I tell the story. You will receive a verification email shortly. She wore it in the Champions League final and other competitions, the Club World Cup and things like that, so hopefully there will be no problem this time and no kind of rules on what they can and cant wear. Its a scar Ill never be able to fully get rid of. Even after the 7-1 defeat against Germany, when I didnt play [due to a ban], people tried to blame me. Thank God that happened, though.

Ive lost finals there against Leicester and Liverpool, and those are not great memories. He has made nine Premier League appearances so far this term - and has scored once - including another solid showing in the 3-0 win over Leicester last time out. At the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March, I went back to Brazil. Ive worked with really great coaches in my career and Ive learned an awful lot - people like Tuchel, Tite with the national team, Carlo Ancelotti. It wasnt that she didnt want to wear the shirt, it was because when she was getting her pass to get into the VIP zone, and they werent allowing family members to wear club colours, said Silva.

In a viral moment at Glastonbury in 2019, rapper Dave invited a fan Alex, who was wearing your PSG jersey on stage to sing his Thiago Silva tune. What role did Frank Lampard play in your move to Stamford Bridge? I dont speak English and understand little of it at the moment, but Azpi can speak French and Spanish, NGolo Kante also speaks French, and [Mateo] Kovacic speaks Spanish and Italian Ive already picked up a couple of phrases to help guide the other defenders back and forth, right and left. Now, Silva has chipped in with his thoughts about why he believes our skipper is the best example of a proper leader. So if I can take a little bit from all of them, then that would be what I would like to do. You can unsubscribe at any time. I went back to Portugal, where I had a flat, and kept up my recovery there. It was the club where I played after I had my illness and its the club who opened the door for me after that stage and believed in me when nobody thought Thiago Silva would still make it as a player. Speaking of Brazil, how did the 2014 World Cup playing as hosts, progressing to the semi-finals, only to lose 7-1 to Germany impact your career and your life, given that you were the national team captain? I was suffering from up in the stands as much as every Brazilian.

Funnily enough, after my first goal, against Sheffield United (opens in new tab), Reece [James] came in my direction and started to sing, Ohhh, Thiago Silva. When we welcomed 2,000 fans back to Stamford Bridge, the fans chanted it, and it felt incredible to hear that. Born in Santa Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Silva had to overcome hardship, violence, rejection and a life-threatening disease on his journey to becoming O Monstro the nickname given to him by Fluminense fans during their 2008 Copa Libertadores runners-up campaign.

Sometimes the journey could last two hours from my neighbourhood! It is not particularly unsettling, but you become aware of your own body language, as well as the questions you are asking. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Silva also reveals fresh details of his unique individual preparations for Premier League life, with one eye on going to a fourth World Cup at Qatar 2022. She left everything behind in Brazil, and were still together. PSG will always be in my heart. As incredible as it may seem, its the club that I support as well.. Its no use doing a clean sweep of the domestic titles, as we did a few times, but being knocked out in the last 16 or last eight of Europe. Something went wrong, please try again later. I deserved much more respect than that. On my way back home, though, I had to take a path that was slightly darker and riddled with thieves. They have won just three of their past eight league matches, turning what should have been a procession into next season's Champions League into something slightly more uncomfortable, although the midweek win over Leeds dispelled any lingering doubts. For the first three, I couldnt see anyone. Thiago Silvais full of praises forCesar Azpilicuetaand has lauded the skipper as the perfect captain for Chelsea. Given they play loads of matches in a really short time period, their recovery must be spot on, so we felt it would be an excellent benchmark. My mum and girlfriend flew to Russia actually, Isabelle went there to break up with me but didnt go through with it! There was the issue with the tuberculosis I suffered early in my career as well, so when you say I am nearly 38 years old, an issue with my lungs has complicated matters as well. Is it true you want to become a manager after you retire? Were you close to giving up at any point? What happened during your battle with tuberculosis in 2005? Silva also has a few things that he would like to get off his chest. Its very easy to understand the language of football. I screamed, but it was no use at that point. Its a country where I feel really at home and it would be an incredible opportunity to coach here too..

I have it settled in my mind: Im working my body to play until Im 40. I deserved much more respect than that. On my way to training, I had a free pass because I was wearing my school uniform, but in the evenings I had to spend money on the bus ticket. Will that change this weekend? I told him it was down to my character.

The latter has been a long-standing presence at the back for us and has gained the necessary qualities required to be a leader during that period. Silva himself is nearing the end of his playing career, and he would need to be replaced sooner rather than later. Life is like that, with tough but also happier times. It just shows passion and football is about passion. You have to remain strong and keep going forward. Many people said I was a crybaby and failure. As competitive as he can be, however, the Brazilian doesnt waste time doing it during the season.

Its an incredibly important competition for us as players, we know what it means with its status here in England and, of course, we lost last year.

Regardless of how long Id be staying, I wanted to leave the club winning every trophy possible. Fluminense is the club I would like to finish at, said Silva without a moments hesitation. Silva admits that meetings between the two teams now deserve to be considered "a type of Clasico", but suggests Liverpool's strength lies in the collective rather than the individual: "The key is the team itself - its the squad, its the manager," he said.

He understood exactly what I needed at this stage of my career, probably because he had made a similar move when he was also 36, from Chelsea to Manchester City (opens in new tab). Having arrived early, Silva not only kept his interviewer on his toes, but also provided a test for the translator, talking at such length he had to keep a note of his answers before relaying them back in English. I do think about it, but its still a bit far away yet. I felt exhausted. Jumping ship wasnt for me, so, after a few seconds of silence, I decided to accept it. If weve not achieved what we wanted to, its because the performances weve put in havent been at the level that we would have hoped they would be.. Ive started to prepare myself, though: last year I earned my first badges with the CBF [Brazils FA]. Before concentrating on the future, Silva has unfinished business to attend to in his latest Wembley final, having lost two - against Leicester City in last seasons FA Cup and Liverpool in this years Carabao Cup. It feels like a test to try to match his high standards - however impossible that might be. Perhaps if I had carried on playing as a midfielder, I wouldnt have become the Thiago Silva who people in football know today.

Later, he asked me whether I had already signed for another club, but it wasnt the cleverest question. I did everything I could to take the club to where they are now: we got to a Champions League final for the first time ever. With the club top of the league and Silva's performances at the back a key part to that, here's everything you need to know about his future at Stamford Bridge. (opens in new tab), Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access, Enjoy your first month for just 1 / $1 / 1, *Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription. Back then, I saw myself as a striker. I imagined what was coming, although my mind was already away from PSG.

I dont feel old, I feel experienced as a footballer and experience is very important, he said. Ahead of Saturdays FA Cup final against Liverpool 37-year-old Brazilian is not treating each new opportunity like it might be his last. There are different types of captains: there are those who talk more, and others who are quieter but mean a lot to the team.