THIAGO SILVA

“ONE OF MY LUNGS WAS COMPLETELY WHITE. I SPENT SIX MONTHS IN A RUSSIAN HOSPITAL. BUT NOW I CAN SAY I’M A LIFE CHAMPION TOO!”

Thiago Silva almost died while on loan at Dynamo Moscow in 2006, but he battled back to become a serial winner for club and country. Chelsea’s Brazilian defender opens up to FFT about his gruelling journey to the top – and going big at Glastonbury

Words Caio Carrieri

lying a kite might feel to most people like a pastime from the last century, but it’s up there as one of Thiago Silva’s favourite activities to help him disconnect from football. More than that, though, it takes the 36-year-old Chelsea defender back to his rough but joyful childhood in western Rio de Janeiro.

“I was more passionate about kites than football,” he tells FFT in his first major interview with British media since crossing the English Channel from Paris Saint-Germain last summer. “If I was having a kickaround with my friends and saw a kite up in the sky, I would leave the ball behind straight away, take my string and head over for the battle.”

As competitive as he can be, however, the Brazilian doesn’t waste time doing it during the season. After all, it wouldn’t be much of a challenge with no other kites in the London sky – as if the rain would even allow it. Silva’s aerial duels are hosted in his hometown. “The feeling of cutting someone’s kite is as good as scoring a goal,” he chuckles.

The centre-back has always been about beauty over brutality. The legendary Paolo Maldini, his former Milan team-mate, once hailed him as “the only defender who can change the outcome of the game”.

Silva also has a few things that he would like to get off his chest. Over the course of a remarkable three-hour interview with FFT, Chelsea’s No.6 is terrific company, discussing everything from his distressing PSG departure and Frank Lampard’s charm offensive, to the devastating time that tuberculosis nearly cost him his life in Russia. 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.

It’s about to get emotional...

Why did you leave PSG last summer?

A lot was said about it – that I didn’t want to reduce my salary to stay at PSG – but there’s only one truth. At the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March, I went back to Brazil. One day, [PSG sporting director] Leonardo called me. He praised me for the winning story I’d had at the club, and also thanked me for my dedication and service. At the end of the call, he said that the club had decided not to keep me, but asked if I would be up for renewing my contract for three months to cover the closing stages of the Champions League in Lisbon. Jumping ship wasn’t for me, so, after a few seconds of silence, I decided to accept it. 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. But it’s OK.”

We had another meeting in Lisbon, which was better – we had only spoken about my future over the phone, which is never a nice situation. Leo said that he was quite surprised by how upbeat I was, despite knowing that I wouldn’t be staying. I told him it was down to my character. Regardless of how long I’d be staying, I wanted to leave the club winning every trophy possible.