Thiago Silva on Chelsea’s ambition, his recovery process and post-career
plans
07 FEB 2023
Thiago Silva has been impressed by Chelsea’s outlay in the January
transfer window, and the defender is confident the injection of fresh
energy will set us up well for the remaining months of this season and
beyond.
The Blues signed eight new players last month, one of whom, Malo Gusto,
has returned on loan to Lyon for the rest of 2022/23. Enzo Fernandez and
Noni Madueke were the latest to make their debut, in the goalless draw
with Fulham, while Thiago’s compatriot Andrey Santos is competing at the
Under-20 South American Championship in Colombia.
‘It’s the first time I've seen something like this in my whole
career,’
Thiago said of our January activity.
‘This shows about the ambition of the club, how much the club wants to
win. We had a lot of injury problems this year. A lot of new players
arrived and that takes time to prepare and get used to.
‘We know we're not having the best season, but I really believe that
the positive thing is: if we don't start well, we can finish well. So,
that's what we need to learn as a lesson, try to get settled in as soon
as possible, because there's no time left, because the Champions League
will start again soon.
‘We need everyone to be ready, at the same page, we won't be at 100 per
cent, but the knowledge of each other has to be important at this moment
to build chemistry.’
Despite the flurry of new arrivals, including in central defence, Thiago
Silva remains a mainstay of the Chelsea side, belying his 38 years and
leading by example.
Of course, there is so much that goes into his consistently outstanding
performances for us away from the pitch. He admits his body is surprising
even himself, but it is clear there are several reasons why he continues
to play at such a high level, including a sharing of ideas with former
Brazilian basketballer Leandrinho Barbosa and Brazilian mixed martial
artist Vitor Belfort.
‘I have my responsibility to understand that we have a young team and
that the team theoretically needs me and my help,’
he starts.
‘For me to help, I need to be physically well, I need to be well
recovered. We have a great communication with staff, because I tell them
that I need to be well.
‘If I'm tired, besides damaging the defence, I won't be able to help my
team. So we have this plan that is a little different to the other
players, but I'm always on the [training] pitch, every day, I'm never
outside of the game and I hope the season ends this way.
‘In Paris [Saint-Germain] I had a very bad injury in the posterior of
my thigh that I couldn't get back,’
continued Thiago.
‘Every time I came back, I felt that little pain again. That's where I
got the idea of talking to Vitor. I bought the hyperbaric chamber and by
that time, things worked out. The injury went away quickly. I didn't
stop doing it.
‘Leandrinho and I exchanged a lot of ideas. He recently stopped
playing, but he has good ideas about recovery equipment. We know we
won't get very far, but I want to finish in a dignified way. I don't
want to finish with a cane! I want to finish in a way that I still feel
good, you know?’
Thankfully there is no end in sight for Thiago the footballer, and he
recently revealed his contract negotiations with Chelsea are going
positively. He expects to extend his time at Stamford Bridge into a fourth
season, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t given some thought to what he will
do when he does eventually retire from the game he has given so much to.
‘I'm living this moment very much, I'm trying to enjoy it a lot, you
know,’
underlined Thiago. ‘However, we need to think about a post-career plan now. I've already
started thinking about that, I've already started the CBF [the Brazil
Football Federation] coaching licence.
‘It is difficult to advance to the next stages, because of having to be
with the club, do the trainings and follow our team. But I'll always try
to do it on my holidays, when I have time.
‘Of course, I don't want to finish my career this year or next year.
Let's see what happens in the future, maybe I become a coach or get
involved in football, which is something I love.’
For now, let’s keep enjoying Thiago while we can!
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