Thiago Silva: “Mum saw my first 999 games, missed the 1,000th” | OneFootball

Thiago Silva reached a historic milestone on Thursday night by playing his 1,000th senior career game in FC Porto's 2-0 victory over Stuttgart, a result that secured the Dragons' advancement to the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals.

This Friday, in statements to the official channels of the blue and white club, the experienced Brazilian center-back, aged 41, confessed his emotion at reaching such a symbolic milestone during a particularly delicate phase of his personal life, just days after his mother's passing.

"It's something unimaginable, something I never thought could happen. My professionalism, my dedication to the profession, the love for what I do allows me to enjoy these moments, and this one will be forever etched in my heart. It's the result of a lot of effort and sacrifice that enabled me to reach this significant mark," he began by stating.

In an emotionally charged speech, the defender also highlighted his mother's role in his journey, emphasizing the symbolism of her absence at this special moment. "It's a thousand games, most of them at the highest level. The 1,000th game was another one of those, a Europa League match, a competition I had never played in, at a very difficult time for me and very particular on a family level. My mother watched practically 999 games. She couldn't be present for the 1,000th game, yet I still felt a lot of pride and satisfaction," he noted.

Recalling the beginning of his connection to the club, Thiago Silva evoked his first steps at Olival and the long journey to reach this round number. "Everything I experienced here... I started in that mini-stadium, where I played several games, already ill, but without knowing it. This milestone is very important to me, for my mind. It's a mix of feelings, due to the loss of my mother, for the significant mark in my career," he shared.

Finally, the Brazilian international left a message of ambition for the remainder of the season, not hiding his pride in once again making history with Porto. "Today is a very special day. In the letter the president sent me, he said he wanted to close this cycle in a different way from my first stint, and the story continues to be written. I hope that at the end of the season we can celebrate titles, which is the most important. This will be marked not only in my history but in the history of FC Porto. Thank you, thank you very much, I am happy to have returned and to make history in this great club," he concluded.

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