Portal dos Dragões
·21 Mei 2026
Farioli on Thiago Silva: “What legends bring a side can’t be taught”

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Yahoo sportsPortal dos Dragões
·21 Mei 2026

Francesco Farioli has never hidden his admiration for Thiago Silva and, following a question asked by a student from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Porto, a Fluminense supporter, about the importance of having such an experienced player in the squad, the Italian coach recalled the figures he had at Nice and Ajax.
“At my last clubs I worked with players like Thiago Silva, Jordan Henderson and Dante. All of them, even at 40, have curiosity and the desire to learn in common. Players with that kind of experience help calm the team in emotional or chaotic environments. If you watch Thiago Silva play, he may no longer be the quickest, but he sees the game three or four seconds earlier. He is in the right place, with the right word. I gave him the floor before an important match, he wasn’t going to play, and we all got goosebumps because of the profound way he spoke about his passion for the game. What these legends bring to a team, when they put themselves at the service of the collective, is something that cannot be taught in motivational videos. It is the presence of a top professional,” he stressed.
As for the departure of the Brazilian centre-back, the Italian coach did not offer any comment, not least because Francesco Farioli chose not to speak to journalists and even jokingly warned the FLUP students when the floor was opened for questions: “About the transfer market, no…”
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.







































