How ‘monster’ Silva, 40, is inspiring Fluminense

A 40-year-old Thiago Silva walked the entire pitch on his knees in a gesture of gratitude after helping save Fluminense from relegation in December.

Silva will take the Brazilian national team to a Club World Cup semi-final against Chelsea on Tuesday.

Silva and Inter Milan were the only two teams that Silva kept three clean sheets in this competition to advance to this stage.

Silva and his two sons Isago and Iago both attended Chelsea for four years, and they are still residing in London.

After visiting the club’s Cobham training facility in both September and December, Silva responded, “I’m not a spy. Although I don’t know [Enzo] Maresca very well, I do know a lot of other players there. Almost weekly, I speak with them.

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Silva’s imposing playing style earned him the nickname “O Monstro,” or “Monstro,” but his comeback story could have easily earned him that title.

The path to becoming one of the greatest centre-backs of the 21st century hasn’t been straightforward because of his early experiences in Rio de Janeiro’s Campo Grande favelas and his father’s five-year abandonment.

Silva made his way into European football when he joined Porto at the age of 20 and started the B team of the Portuguese club. He left second-tier Juventude in 2004 and joined the Portuguese club.

However, the defender started experiencing cold-like symptoms while on a reserve trip to Thailand.

In the days that followed, he agreed to move to Dynamo Moscow on a loan, but Silva struggled to breathe or even perform basic tasks.

He was taken to the hospital and given a tuberculosis diagnosis. He was informed by doctors that he could have passed away had he not sought medical care for just two more weeks at home.

Due to the disease’s contagious nature, Silva was stable but unable to receive treatment, and he spent six months alone in a Moscow hospital.

He was finally cured and was able to travel back to Portugal for another six months.

Silva left Brazil to join Fluminense to rebuild his career, which was a significant setback in terms of footballing.

Chelsea’s former defender is still a gimmick for fans.

Silva’s victory in the 2021 Champions League, which saw the English club compete in this newly expanded Club World Cup, had a significant impact on the English club’s campaign.

In addition to his impressive Blues career, he also won a Uefa Super Cup and a Club World Cup in a previously shorter format.

Former Chelsea teammate Marc Cucurella described him as a “legend of football” and “a top player.” He only played for big clubs, and he texted me before the game, “Let’s go, we can see you in a few days.”

We have the chance to play against him, and we should be able to accomplish this and advance to the final, which we want to do.

When Fluminense, who had a 1-0 lead over Inter Milan but was under heavy pressure, Silva was seen speaking to the team during a cooling-off.

He was caught by surveillance cameras making a tactical switch to a 5-4-1 formation and also suggesting Jhon Arias, a playmaker, and Everaldo, a striker, at the wing.

With a late second on the break, Fluminense snatched one of their best results in their 123-year history, manager Renato Gaucho concurred.

When asked about Silva, Gaucho responded, “I usually think Thiago is a monster on the pitch.”

He is a good friend of Chelsea and European football, and he has benefited us greatly. On the field, he serves as essentially a coach. Along with his top-notch football, his experience is crucial.

He “talks a lot to his teammates on the pitch,” especially during these significant games against major international teams. His knowledge and playing style are of the highest importance to us.

Financially speaking, “We are ugly ducklings, but winning the Club World Cup doesn’t mean that.”