Thiago Silva speaks out on Fluminense exit, reveals backstage details

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·10 de marzo de 2026

Thiago Silva speaks out on Fluminense exit, reveals backstage details

The defender Thiago Silva opened up about the end of his second stint with Fluminense in an exclusive interview with TNT Sports. The defender clarified that his departure was not sudden, revealing that the final decision had been made as early as the beginning of October last year. According to the athlete, the club's management was already aware of his position long before the official announcement, although coach Luis Zubeldía was only informed personally after his arrival.

One of the central points of Thiago Silva's statement was the period of silence on the matter. The player explained that he chose not to make the decision public immediately to avoid instability in the team before the decisive classic in the Copa do Brasil against Vasco. He also lamented the way the fans' criticism was handled, suggesting that the management could have acted more transparently to protect him from public backlash after negative results.

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Despite the departure, the veteran emphasized the active role he played off the field. Thiago Silva stated that his project upon returning to Brazil involved modernizing internal processes at the Carlos Castilho Training Center. The defender celebrated improvements implemented in the areas of nutrition and physical recovery protocols, standards he brought from his extensive experience in European football and which, according to him, generated direct thanks from teammates for the improvement in daily performance.

Concluding the assessment of his recent journey at Laranjeiras, the defender countered questions about his commitment. He pointed out that he spent a year and a half away from his family to defend Fluminense's colors, describing the period as a personal sacrifice driven by his identification with the institution.

Read the full statement:

“It was not a decision made overnight. And what I felt is that they (management) could have said this after I took the criticism the way I did. I understand the fans' side and I would also be sad. I couldn't have spoken earlier because I didn't want to create a whole mess before a decision against Vasco. This decision was made at the beginning of October, and everyone there knew about it, except for the coach (Zubeldia) who arrived later, and I even told him personally: “Mister, if you had arrived earlier, maybe I would have changed my mind.” Since I arrived, my conversation with the president was to change some things that were here outside (Europe) to bring there, but that takes time. We managed to work on improvements in the internal structure, for example in nutrition and recovery. I am happy to have been part of this, the athletes call me and thank me for the things I was able to add so they could have a smooth day-to-day recovery and performance. I made sacrifices, 1 year and a half away from my family, if that's not love for the club, I don't know what love is.”

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