Thiago Silva: “I believe these are the last trophies I can win” | OneFootball

It fell to Thiago Silva, the most experienced player in the FC Porto squad, to preview the Dragons’ clash with Nottingham Forest in the second leg of the Europa League quarter-finals.

The Brazil international knows English football well, having played for Chelsea for four seasons, and he also knows that Porto’s task will be demanding after the 1-1 home draw in the first leg.

– What can the team do on the pitch to stay in the competition?

– I don’t think anything more than what we’ve been doing. What has brought us to this important moment has been our work, our aggressive approach in defense, and playing with joy when we have the ball. So we have to keep doing that. This is a different ground, a very difficult one, but football is made up of these moments when we need to show the high level the competition demands. The season we’ve been having gives us the confidence we need to put in a great performance here.

– You played many years in England, and people talk a lot about the way the fans support their teams. Can that really affect the players on the pitch?

– It doesn’t affect us because we know the pressure from the opposing fans is strong. The atmosphere really is different. I can say that 90 or 95 percent of English fans are very passionate. But we just have to think about what we need to do, stay calm, enjoy the moment, and make the most of the opportunity we have.

– You have a lot of experience in decisive matches like this tie. What advice have you been sharing with the younger players in the squad?

– Everyone has their own way of dealing with a match of this magnitude. Only by going through it can you really understand how important it is to prepare well. Because a match isn’t won or lost on the day of the game. I really believe in preparation. If you stop preparing for even one day, that takes you further away from your success, from your dream. And this group, to be completely honest, works very hard. We work very hard. Does that mean we’re going to win? No. But it brings us closer to victory and gives us peace of mind about the work we’ve been doing.

– Being in England, will you have your family there supporting you?

– No, my family won’t be coming. Unfortunately, my son had some problems and had to go to a medical appointment, and my wife wasn’t able to come.

– Your two sons are playing in Chelsea’s youth teams, and you had to leave them behind when you returned to Brazil to play for Fluminense in 2024. What was it like making that decision?

– They were very important decisions in my life. Going back to Brazil, leaving my family [in London]. It wasn’t pleasant, I missed them terribly. I thought it would be easier. The decision to return to Europe was also about being closer to them. Now I’m back in England to play against a Premier League team.

– Are you already looking at next season as an FC Porto player, given that possibility exists?

– No, I’m not looking at next season. I’m looking at tomorrow. In fact, I’m looking at today, thinking about tomorrow’s game. That’s what we have to do: enjoy the moment. I believe these may be the last trophies I can still win in my career. I know it’s coming to an end. I have three still up for grabs, and you can be sure that I will work to win all three. That guarantees nothing, only the desire. We have a guy [looks at Farioli beside him] who is super demanding. Not just because he’s here, he knows it well. Every day he pushes us forward. We know what we have to do tomorrow [Thursday], and I hope we have a great day. Because to beat Premier League teams at their place, we have to be at 100 percent. If we’re at 99, it’s not enough. And we’re fully aware of that.

– The opponent has the best attack in the competition. As a defender, how do you look at the players you’ll be facing?

– Completely naturally. I trust our work, not only in defense but in the team as a whole. We defend well starting from our striker. And it’s only fair for them to think they’ll do better than they did at the Dragão Stadium. We also believe we’ll do our best and take qualification back to Portugal. We are very well prepared for this clash. We know they didn’t play their best game at the Dragão, but we’ll work to neutralize their strengths and play our game with joy and confidence.

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