Thiago Silva

Thiago Emiliano da Silva (born 22 September 1984) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for and captains Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Fluminense. Regarded as one of the best defenders of all time, he is known for his defensive prowess, discipline, and leadership.

Silva began his senior club career in 2002 playing as a midfielder for RS Futebol, and transitioned to a defensive position while at Juventude; he then signed with Porto in 2004, at age 19, and moved to Dynamo Moscow on loan, where he was hospitalized with a near fatal bout of tuberculosis. After recovering, he joined Fluminense and won a Copa do Brasil in 2007. In 2009, Silva moved to AC Milan for a reported fee of €8 million and won the 2010–11 Serie A title.

In 2012, Silva was the subject of a then- record football deal when he signed for Paris Saint-Germain in a transfer worth up to €42 million, becoming the most expensive defender ever at the time. There, he would become the club's longest serving captain, winning seven Ligue 1 titles, six Coupes de la Ligue, five Coupes de France, and playing in the final of the UEFA Champions League, which served as his last PSG appearance. He currently ranks eighth in all-time appearances for the club. In 2020, the 36-year-old Silva joined Chelsea on a free transfer, winning the Champions League in his first season, and both the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup in his second.

Silva made his senior international debut for Brazil in 2008 at age 23, and has since received over 110 caps, including appearances in eight major tournaments. He earned a bronze medal at the Summer Olympics in 2008 and a silver in 2012, before serving as captain for Brazil on home soil as they won the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and finished fourth at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Silva was also a member of the team that won the Copa América in 2019 and finished runners-up in 2021. He has not been called up to the Brazilian national football team since December 2022, but has not officially announced his retirement.

Club career

Early career

When he was younger, Silva was admitted into a school in the Campo Grande neighborhood of Rio – coincidentally a feeder school for Fluminense. At the age of 14, Silva impressed Fluminense coach Maurinho during a friendly in Xerém. He was given a short trial, where he was given the role of a defensive midfielder. Silva's playing opportunities were few, prompting him to trial for other clubs. In 1999, at the age of 15, Silva auditioned at Madureira, Olaria, and Flamengo; he was rejected at each club, the trial at Flamengo being the most difficult for him as he was not even observed by coaches.

After another unsuccessful trial at Botafogo, Silva was taken on by his hometown side Barcelona, a small Brazilian club in the lower divisions. The following year, Silva played at a showcase tournament in São Paulo in the hope of attracting the attention of bigger clubs. It is there where he was spotted by Paulo César Carpegiani, who invited him to join RS Futebol in the south of Brazil. Joining the club in the end of 2001, Silva became a professional in 2002 and competed in the third division of the Campeonato Gaúcho, finishing second and achieving promotion to the state's second division. In a tournament played in Ancona, Italy, Silva was spotted by Bruno Conti, a coach with Roma. Conti wanted him to play for Roma, but Silva did not accept the offer. Strong performances in his last season as a defensive midfielder led to Silva's move to Juventude.

Silva moved to Juventude in 2004, where he played for six months. At 20 years old, Silva transitioned from midfield to defence under the tutelage of Ivo Wortmann. In his only season at Juventude, Silva was regarded as the revelation of the season. He was rated by the sports magazine ''Placar'' as the third-best defender in Brazil and was included in the team of the season. Juventude had made a huge leap in league placement during Silva's time at the club – from finishing 18th with 53 points in 2003, to finishing 7th with 70 points in 2004. Silva had caught the eye of many clubs with his outstanding performances, and he was sold to Porto.

Silva was bought by Porto for €2.5 million in 2004, but played only for the reserve team. After a year in Portugal, he joined Dynamo Moscow, where he was diagnosed with tuberculosis and was hospitalised for six months. He is quoted as saying, "Every now and then a doctor would come in and give me an injection, three or four times a day, plus 10-15 pills." His illness became much worse over time and his doctors told him that if he had been hospitalized two weeks later, he could have died. During his recovery, Silva decided to retire from football but was persuaded to reconsider by his mother.

Fluminense

Silva returned to football with the help of his former coach, Ivo Wortmann. In 2006, Wortmann was signed as a coach by Fluminense and requested to bring Silva with him, despite Silva's health issues. On 14 January, Fluminense announced the signing of Silva from Dynamo Moscow. Fluminense struggled in the 2006 Brasileirão, finishing 15th out of 20 teams; however, Silva was described as one of the best players in the season. It is during this time where Silva developed the nickname of "''O Monstro''" — Portuguese for "The Monster".

2007 was a much better year for both Fluminense and for Silva. The club finished in fourth place in the 2007 Brasileirão, conceding only 39 goals in 38 matches, enough for the second-best defence in Brazil. More importantly, Fluminense managed a historic victory in the 2007 Copa do Brasil, winning the prestigious trophy for the first time. Silva played a decisive part in the victory; he started in every match, and scored the opening goal in the quarter-final, as well as the equalising goal in the semi-final. Silva's form through the season led him to be selected into Brazil national team manager Dunga's preliminary squad for the 2007 Copa América. After winning the Copa do Brasil, Silva was recognised by fans as the best defender in Brazil. At the end of the season, he was one of three nominees for the Best Central Defender award, alongside Breno and Fábio Luciano. The voting results were unveiled on 4 December, where Silva finished second, behind Breno.

2008 was a bad year for Fluminense, but Silva's best on an individual level. Having devoted much of their efforts towards the 2008 Copa Libertadores, the club's league form suffered, finishing in 14th place. On 18 January, Silva was rewarded by Fluminense's board of directors for his 100th match in the ''tricolor'': He was awarded a shirt with the number "100" and a plaque in honour of his achievements. Silva became an idol for young Fluminense supporters with his level of performances — the white wristband that Silva would wear during matches became a trend amongst teenagers in Rio de Janeiro who supported the ''tricolor''. In May 2008, four fans painted a flag of Silva to honour what they deemed "the best central defender in Brazil". It was first shown in the Copa Libertadores semi-final against Boca Juniors — Silva scored a crucial equaliser in the same match.

Silva was included in the 2008 Brasileirão Team of the Season and was selected as the Fans' Player of the Season. Silva was widely regarded as one of Fluminense's most important performers in the 2008 Copa Libertadores, reaching the finals only to lose on penalties to LDU Quito. Silva's form for Fluminense earned him a call-up to the '' Seleção'' to take part in the 2008 Summer Olympics. Silva was linked with many clubs in 2008, including the likes of Inter Milan, Chelsea and Villarreal, though ultimately he opted to join the Brazilian contingent already at AC Milan. The transfer was confirmed on 12 December. In his final match for Fluminense, Silva was cheered by 50,000 supporters who were witnessing his last performance at the Maracanã.

AC Milan

After a five-month rundown and a confusing four-hour negotiation period, Silva agreed to a move to Milan for a €10 million fee, with net wages of €2.5 million on a four-year contract. Although Silva could not play competitive matches, he was able to train with the first team. In his first month at Milan, he was taught new defending techniques from Paolo Maldini and manager Carlo Ancelotti. Silva played his first match for the ''Rossoneri'' in a friendly match against Hannover 96 on 21 January 2009; he played well, making ten tackles. His performance drew praise from Milan executive Adriano Galliani and teammate Clarence Seedorf. Silva was officially registered as a Milan player for the 2009–10 season.

2009–10: Debut season

Silva played his first competitive match of the season against Siena on 22 August 2009. After the match, he was praised for a strong individual performance alongside teammate Alessandro Nesta. Milan legend Paolo Maldini claimed that Silva had the "physical and technical characteristics of a champion", while Nesta said that Silva would "extend my life as a central defender". On 23 September, Silva left training with a muscle strain; he was inactive for the next four matches. In October, Silva followed a poor performance against Roma with two great displays against Real Madrid; Silva also had a wrongly disallowed goal in Milan's away victory.

On 8 November, Silva scored a goal – as well as an own-goal – in a 2–1 victory over Lazio. His quick transition to European football was met with a lot of interest from Italian media — the investment of €10 million to acquire Silva was regarded as a good decision; the ''La Gazzetta dello Sport'', the largest daily newspaper in Italy, claimed that Silva's value had doubled at that point. On 25 November, Silva put in a man of the match performance against Marseille to secure passage into the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League. In a match against Zürich on 8 December, Silva was substituted after 20 minutes with a muscle injury. It was suspected that Silva tore a muscle, and would miss up to two months, though after clinical examinations, the injury was found to be a strain rather than a tear. On 30 December, Silva was pronounced to be fully fit by club doctor Massimo Manara.

On 10 January 2010, Milan defeated Juventus by a score of 3–0; Silva was rated as one of the best performers on the day, and ''La Gazzetta dello Sport'' compared the understanding of Silva and Nesta to the legendary duo of Franco Baresi and Alessandro Costacurta. On 15 January, Silva's teammate Alexandre Pato claimed that Silva would become the best defender in the world. In a match against Udinese on 12 February, Silva picked up a muscle injury, leaving him in doubt for Milan's upcoming Champions League match against Manchester United. On 6 March, Silva was selected as man of the match in a 0–0 draw with fellow ''Scudetto'' challengers Roma. At the end of the season, Silva was rated as the third-best central defender in the 2009–10 Serie A by ''La Gazzetta dello Sport''.

2010–11: Serie A win

Silva's season began with a goal against Lecce in the first match of the 2010–11 Serie A season. In a 3–1 victory over Chievo on 16 October, Silva was forced to leave the match with a sprained left ankle. The injury forced Silva to miss a Champions League group stage match against Real Madrid — Milan CEO Adriano Galliani jokingly said after the match that he would give Silva his healthy foot in order to see him play at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Silva was inactive for four matches due to his injury. After returning from his injury, he was to play in the Derby della Madonnina against city rivals and treble winners Inter Milan. Matched against UEFA Club Footballer of the Year winner Diego Milito, Silva nullified his efforts and played a key role in Milan's 1–0 victory. In a 0–2 group stage loss to Ajax in the Champions League, Silva suffered a right knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery. Initially feared to be a serious injury, it only kept Silva away for one month. At the midpoint of the season, Silva was regarded as the best defender in the Serie A, and the best in Europe.

Forced to play as an emergency defensive midfielder due to an injury crisis, Silva played extraordinarily well against Cesena, a match which Milan won 2–0. Silva's performance brought comparisons to legendary Milan midfielder Marcel Desailly. In his next match, Silva was rated as the best player in Milan's 2–1 victory over Sampdoria in the Coppa Italia quarter-final. The midfield "experiment" continued in a 0–0 draw against Lazio, though this time, Silva was compared to another legendary Milan midfielder, Frank Rijkaard. Silva was lauded by Italian media for his display against Napoli, marking-out star striker Edinson Cavani. Milan won 3–0. One publication claimed that Silva and Nesta "made a ghost" of Cavani, whereas another claimed that Cavani had a "nightmare".

In the match that sealed the ''Scudetto'' for Milan, Silva anchored the ''Rossoneri'' to a 3–0 victory in the Derby della Madonnina against city rivals Inter. At the end of the season, Silva extended his contract to June 2016. Silva managed to complete the entire 2010–11 Serie A having earned only one yellow card, and having committed 26 fouls in 33 total matches. Silva's individual season was met with praise from all across Europe. In a fan vote, Silva was selected as Milan Player of the Season with 66.6% of the vote. ''La Gazzetta dello Sport'' rated him as the Player of the Season. Silva was selected as Goal's Serie A Player of the Season, and was also voted as the best defender in the league by Italian media and his fellow professionals.

2011–12: Final campaign in Italy

Milan's season began with a 2–1 victory over Inter in the 2011 Supercoppa Italiana; Silva was the best defender in the match and one of the best overall performers, making a decisive last-man tackle on Samuel Eto'o to deny a clear chance in the first half. Milan began the 2011–12 Serie A in poor form, winning only two points in the first three matches, though Silva was one of the better players in the draws against Lazio and Udinese. In a Champions League group stage match against Barcelona, Silva and Alessandro Nesta were crucial in the 2–2 result; both defenders were regarded as two of the best performers by Italian and Catalan media. In the match, Silva scored the 90th-minute equaliser — his former coach Carlo Ancelotti predicted that Silva would score that goal.

A knee contusion in a 3–0 victory over Palermo on 15 October kept Silva out for two matches. In Silva's 75th Serie A match for Milan, played on 19 November, he was vital in maintaining a clean sheet against Fiorentina. The next week, Silva was named captain against Chievo, in the process becoming the first foreign captain in 50 years for Milan. In the 4–0 demolition at the San Siro, Silva scored his first goal as captain, while teammate Zlatan Ibrahimović also scored his 100th Serie A goal in the same match. On 1 December, Silva was shortlisted for the FIFPro World XI. 1994 World Cup-winning coach Carlos Alberto Parreira regarded Silva as the best Brazilian footballer in Europe.

On 9 January, Silva was compared to Milan's greatest player, Franco Baresi, by his teammate Gennaro Gattuso. On 13 January, Zlatan Ibrahimović claimed that Silva was the best defender he had ever played with. Silva was voted into the 2011 UEFA Team of the Year on 18 January. Silva was selected as man of the match in a 0–0 draw against Napoli in February. In Milan's 4–0 win over Arsenal in the Champions League Round of 16, Silva successfully marked-out Robin van Persie, who was in a great run of form. Silva played his last full league match for Milan on 17 March against Parma, playing an important role in the 2–0 victory. Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidić said that Silva was the best defender in the world in an interview on 22 March.

On 24 March, Silva was forced out of a match against Roma after ten minutes due to a serious injury. Although Milan originally claimed Silva would be out just four weeks, instead he missed seven weeks, including the Champions League quarter-finals against Barcelona, where Milan fell 1–3 on aggregate. Without Silva, Milan stuttered in the league and lost the ''Scudetto'' to rivals Juventus. It was argued that Silva's injury was the turning point in the title race: with Silva, Milan won 2.37 out of a possible 3 points per match, while without him Milan won 2.09 out of a possible 3 points. Silva's strong season finished in another nomination to the Serie A Team of the Year, being joint-best central defender alongside Juve stalwart Andrea Barzagli. He was also regarded as one of the best defenders in Italy by multiple independent publications.

Paris Saint-Germain

The negotiations to bring Silva to Paris Saint-Germain took place at the end of the 2011–12 season. The saga took over a month to complete. On 11 June 2012, it was reported that Milan legend Paolo Maldini would convince Silva to join PSG in the summer. Major French newspaper ''L'Équipe'' claimed that a transfer would be completed by 15 June. The same day, PSG sporting director — and former Milan coach — Leonardo officially declared interest in acquiring Silva. The next day, however, Milan general director Ariedo Braida claimed that Silva was not for sale. On 13 June, Maldini refuted claims that he would play a part in Silva's transfer, asserting the fact that he would never convince Silva to leave. Milan chairman Silvio Berlusconi mentioned a potential transfer on 13 June, saying that Silva needed to be sold for €46 million in order to balance the club's accounts. The next day, however, Berlusconi confirmed that Silva would be staying at Milan. Transfer news slowed down, and on 2 July, Milan extended Silva's contract to 2017, yet just 12 days later, Silva's transfer to PSG was confirmed. The transfer fee was rumoured to be around €42 million, which would have made Silva the most expensive defender in football history. Silva had repeatedly stressed the fact that he never pushed for a transfer, and that he was happy at Milan. Silva even mentioned that he would like to return to Milan later in his career.

2012–13: Record transfer

At his arrival, Silva was presented to the media as the "best defender in the world" by PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi. Then PSG coach, and his former coach with Milan, Carlo Ancelotti, admitted to French media that Silva came to the club injured, and would not be able to participate immediately in matches. Thirteen days later, Silva was declared fit to play, in time for a Champions League group stage match against Dynamo Kyiv. On his debut, Silva scored the second goal in PSG's 4–1 victory. He played his first Ligue 1 match against Bastia, which PSG dominated, winning 4–0. On 20 October, Silva was played as a central midfielder in PSG's 1–0 win over Reims; Silva was commended for his display by teammate Salvatore Sirigu. Silva scored his second goal for the club in ''Le Classique'' — the derby between PSG and Marseille. He was praised for his defensive display in the match. On 16 December, Silva was praised for shackling Lyon forward Lisandro López in PSG's 1–0 win. For the 2012 football year, Silva was inducted into the UEFA Team of the Year for the second consecutive season.

In Silva's first match after the winter break, he was injured in a 0–0 draw against Ajaccio; the MRI confirmed damage to his left bicep, and Silva's recovery time was listed at three weeks. It was found that Silva's injury was more serious than initially diagnosed, and as a result Silva was actually inactive for almost two months. Silva made his return in the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16 against Valencia. Silva was outstanding in this match, being lauded heavily in France for an "extraterrestrial effort" against the Spanish side. In PSG's 1–0 victory over reigning champions Montpellier, Silva was regarded as the man of the match with a flawless defensive display. Silva received the Ligue 1 Player of the Month award for March, with 71% of the vote, after several fantastic performances. This was followed by a unanimously exalted performance against Barcelona, where Silva was described as "a wall" by French and Catalan media. Carlo Ancelotti claimed after the match that Silva was the best defender in the world, saying that Silva had all the ability to win the Ballon d'Or. PSG legend Ricardo Gomes claimed that Silva was one of Brazil's best-ever defenders, as well as saying that Silva was the best defender in the history of the club. In the return leg, Silva was again praised by Catalan media for a world-class performance.

Silva continued his run of great performances in PSG's tight 1–0 victory against Troyes. Silva's season came to an end on 5 May when he received a straight red-card in a match against Valenciennes. He motioned to the referee, and put his hands on the referee's shoulder, which the referee deemed as a red-card offence. It was deemed to be a very harsh decision, with former referee Alain Sars claiming the expulsion was severe. Sporting director Leonardo said that the expulsion was "unacceptable", and Ancelotti said that he did not understand the reason for the expulsion. Nevertheless, at the end of the season Silva was voted into the 2012–13 Ligue 1 Team of the Year for his level of play throughout the season. Silva was also shortlisted for the Ligue 1 Player of the Year award, alongside teammates Blaise Matuidi and Zlatan Ibrahimović. Over the course of the season, Silva committed an extremely-low 14 fouls, which was mentioned as an excellent total for a defender in ''Le Parisien''. Silva was considered the best defender in Ligue 1 by ''France Football''.

2013–14: Individual success and domestic treble

Silva's season began with a 2–1 victory in the Trophée des Champions against Bordeaux; Silva was voted as man of the match for his display. It was the first time Paris Saint-Germain had won the trophy since 1998. On 22 August 2013, it was announced that Silva had signed a one-year extension to his contract, keeping him at the club until 2018. In the rematch with Bordeaux at the Stade Chaban-Delmas, Silva put in another good performance as PSG won 2–0. Silva was forced off the field in the 16th minute against Monaco due to a left hamstring injury, which ultimately kept him out for six weeks. Coming back from his injury, Silva played extremely well against Nice

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