Thiago Silva will look back at the year 2021 with fond memories after helping Chelsea to win the Champions League.
In the 2020/21 season, Chelsea beat Premier League rivals Manchester City in the Champions League final to win Europe’s elite competition for the second time in their history.
Silva started on the night but had to be taken off in the first half after picking up an injury.
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Chelsea’s list of first-team centre-backs
Levi Colwill
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Trevoh Chalobah
Benoit Badiashile
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Trevoh Chalobah of Chelsea celebrates scoring his team's goal with teammate Wesley Fofana
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The Brazilian would have been really disappointed, but in the end, he had much to smile about.
Thiago Silva of Fluminense FC applauds at the end of the
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Thiago Silva knew Chelsea would win Champions League final
Not many gave Chelsea a chance of winning, with City being the best team in England. However, Thomas Tuchel’s side had already beaten Pep Guardiola’s men twice before that game.
Those victories before the Champions League final may have been why Silva was confident of defeating City.
Before the match, he told himself that Chelsea could not lose and believed that they had enough to see off the Citizens.
Speaking to TNT Sports Brasil, Silva said: “It was a very important day in my life, especially because the year before we lost — Paris lost the final to Bayern in Lisbon. Then the following year I was transferred to Chelsea and, once again, we were in the final, with the final scheduled to be played at the Estadio do Dragao. And when we reached the final, I said to myself, ‘Man, today we can’t lose — we can’t lose’.
“I believe that God does things in a way that, at that moment, we don’t understand, but we only understand later on. And when the final was set — Manchester City vs Chelsea — with City as the overwhelming favourites for the match, and the stadium practically being my home, after everything I had been through in this city with FC Porto, I knew I would leave here a winner.”
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The central defender recently signed for Porto from Fluminense so is playing in Europe once again.
It has been claimed that Silva was open to joining Chelsea again, but the Club World Cup winners never made a move to re-sign the 41-year-old.
Thiago Silva of Chelsea poses with the Champions League Trophy
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Chelsea should have re-signed Thiago Silva
Chelsea missed a trick by not bringing Silva back to Stamford Bridge. He would have cost them nothing and added some experience to their very young squad.
Caretaker manager Calum McFarlane has already warned Liam Rosenior that he has an inconsistent group because of the number of young players in it.
Chelsea could look to address that in the summer. It is being reported that an experienced centre-back could eventually arrive at Stamford Bridge.
They had nothing to lose by bringing in Silva on a short-term deal until the end of the season, though. A player of his calibre could have made a difference for them in the race for Champions League qualification.
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