Chelsea's Brazilian central defender Thiago Silva is, at 37 years old, one of the pillars on which one of the strongest backwards in Europe will be based on Wednesday against Lille (20h00 GMT; 2-0 in the first leg) in the second round of the Champions League.
After leaving Paris SG free at the end of his contract in the European summer of 2020 after a Champions League final lost against Bayern Munich (1-0), the defender still looked strong and able to perform at the highest level.
'O Monstro' didn't take the easy way. The Brazilian could, like many footballers of his age, have been able to opt for the comfort of a lucrative 'pre-retirement' in leagues such as the American MLS.
Far from that, Silva chose to land in the toughest championship in the world, the Premier League, and in a team often prey to his ambition and thirst for titles such as Chelsea.
“He was very brave in making the decision to join the Premier League at his age, with his PSG status, and to completely change his life,” his coach Thomas Tuchel summed up.
A one-year contract to start, but with such success that it was soon renewed until 2023.
- Good understanding with Tuchel -
A move that proves successful for the Blues, who cannot prolong their players' contracts following the sanctions inflicted on their Russian owner, Roman Abramovich, whose assets were frozen after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
In addition, a good part of Chelsea's defensive line - César Azpilicueta, Antonio Rüdiger and Andreas Christensen - will be free in the coming months, except for an unexpected turn.
One of the few positive surprises in an overly irregular team under the command of Frank Lampard, Thiago Silva soon dispelled doubts.
In addition, he was able to meet again in January 2021 with coach Thomas Tuchel, whose confidence he enjoyed when the German led PSG.
“Obviously the circumstances are different. There is a particular atmosphere in each club, it was the case at PSG and it is similar here at Chelsea (...). He is the same as he was” in Paris, Tuchel said last month about Thiago Silva.
“It is a pleasure to be his coach because he is exemplary every day, he is very humble and professional, he is an extraordinary player,” he praised him.
- Combativity intact -
A bet that proved to be right when he was finally able to get his hands on the 'Orejona' with the Blues, a year after he stroked it with his fingers with PSG.
With 33 matches and more than 2,700 minutes of play this season, Silva has already played as much as last year, in which a thigh injury kept him out of the competition in the spring (boreal). He is the third most used field player by the Blues.
Located in the center of a defense of three, it brings its calm, its experience, its reliability, but also an intact combativity.
Just watch their action on the goal line in the League Cup final against Liverpool (loss on penalties).
Reds striker Mohamed Salah came face to face with goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. Then Silva appeared sprinting 30 meters, beating his teammates Antonio Rüdiger, N'Golo Kanté and Mateo Kovacic, to save a ball that all of Wembley already saw in the nets.
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