Thiago Silva returns to the Dragão in FC Porto’s Christmas surprise | OneFootball

He is one of the most iconic names in the history of football worldwide. FC Porto shook expectations by confirming the signing of Thiago Silva this Saturday, in a special Christmas gift not only for the fans but also for the Brazilian international, who had already worn the Dragons' shirt years before.

Almost two decades later, the veteran center-back, now 41 years old, returns to the Invicta club, where he had a brief stint with the B team in the 2004/05 season, a period during which he was diagnosed with tuberculosis that nearly put his career at risk.

Ready to write a new chapter with the dragon on his chest, while still eyeing the 2026 World Cup as a possible final goal, Thiago Silva expressed his excitement about returning to European football via FC Porto, after closing a chapter at Fluminense.

“Hello Porto Nation. I'm here to announce my return to the Dragons and to say how happy and honored I am with this opportunity. I am super motivated and hope to help in the best way possible. I would like to thank our president André Villas-Boas for the opportunity and also coach Francesco Farioli. I am looking forward to wearing these colors once again. I count on your support and look forward to seeing you at the Dragão,” said the Brazilian international in a video released by FC Porto.

Thiago Silva now takes on a heavy legacy by receiving the number 3 shirt, previously worn by Pepe until about a year and a half ago, a player who also had a remarkable career in the major European leagues and passed through the Dragão twice.

The path of experience

The center-back developed most of his training at Fluminense and, as a senior, played for clubs such as RS FC and Juventude before moving to Portugal, specifically to FC Porto B, in 2004/05.

In the secondary team of the blue and whites, he played 14 matches and was unable to establish himself during that first European stint due to tuberculosis, although he managed to recover enough to accept a challenge at Dinamo Moscow, in Russia.

Returning to Brazil with Fluminense allowed him to restart his career, and from there he moved to AC Milan in 2009/10, staying for three seasons before embarking on a long adventure at PSG. Between 2012/13 and 2019/20, Thiago Silva spent eight standout seasons at the Ligue 1 club, the current European champion, winning practically every possible trophy.

With an already vast trophy cabinet, his time at Chelsea, between the summer of 2020 and 2024, allowed him to win titles that had previously eluded him, such as the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup, all in 2021.

That edition of the Champions League was won precisely at the Estádio do Dragão, in 2021, against Manchester City (1-0), a moment when Thiago Silva recalled the trauma he experienced in 2004/05 in Portugal: “Everything I went through in Porto was very intense. In just a few months, I went from the dream of playing in Europe to the nightmare of maybe never playing football again. That period helped shape the athlete and the person I am today.”

For the Brazilian national team, the 41-year-old defender has 113 caps, with seven goals and three assists, having won a Confederations Cup (2013) and a Copa América (2019).

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.