Brazilian outlet TNT Sports features today a pretty good interview with Chelsea defender Thiago Silva.
The 36-year-old had a lot of interesting things to say regarding the end of his time at Paris Saint Germain, his arrival at Chelsea and the struggles during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Thiago Silva also had brought some insight on his future, as even though there are not many years left in his career, there’s still a lot he wants to do.
He was first asked if he’d like to return to his former club Fluminense. He claimed that losing the Copa Libertadores final in 2008 was the biggest disappointment of his career, and could have another shot in the coming years.
“If I tell you that I don’t think about it, I’d be lying to you. It’s something that I think, I already talked a few times with my wife”, Thiago Silva told TNT Sports.
“When you have a consecrated career in Europe, your children grew up in Europe, this decision is difficult. Sometimes leaving your children studying in Europe, family, and you go to Brazil, anyway. If I’m not mistaken, Julio Cesar at Flamengo did this recently before ending his career.
“This difficult mission to leave the family in Europe and return to Brazil to fulfil the dream of wearing Flamengo shirt again. I do have this dream of returning to wearing the shirt of Fluminense, everyone knows my desire, it was expressed by Marcão recently also in an interview. But it’s something I prefer to leave ahead to see how things are going to happen, right. It’s a difficult decision to be made, but I’m really thinking with great affection and suddenly have this Libertadores mission again.”
Now his return to Brazil doesn’t mean he’s making the move this or next year. Thiago Silva claims he’s actually planning to play until he turns 40, and there’s a former teammate of his who he inspires himself in.
“I, in particular, saw myself a lot at Maldini. Those last six months of his career were the six months that I had arrived at Milan and couldn’t play. Ancelotti took me to all the games, he asked me to look at the team somehow, of course, but specifically to look at what Maldini did on the pitch and off the pitch.
“He was 41 already. He asked a lot so that I could watch him. And I tried to observe not only in the games, but during the moments during the week, in his preparation, what he did, what he tried to do to keep improving, because people who play at a high level are always wanting to improve and playing as better as possible.”
“And he did a preparation that no other young player at the time did. So I have him as an example not only on the pitch on matchdays but also on the outside. I identified a lot with Paulo and with this little interaction that I had with him, I could see there that suddenly I was preparing well and could reach 40 years of age playing wherever I wanted, you know.
“And Paulo, for sure, he shouldn’t even know it, but he’s certainly a great admiration that I had, a mirror so that I can reach these 40 years, which is the age I have in my head that maybe I could end my career.”
