Thiago Silva cites idol in strong hint at Chelsea future plans

Thiago Silva has revealed his desire to keep playing at a high level with Chelsea and cited former AC Milan teammate Paolo Maldini as an example to follow.

Silva joined Chelsea on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain after the French club released him in the summer. The 36-year-old has defied his years and made a big impression at Stamford Bridge. In his latest appearance, he helped the Blues confirm their place in the Champions League semi-finals.

The Brazilian will be hoping for further success with the London club and has now offered a strong hint to his plans.

Silva only signed a one-year deal with the club when he moved to the Premier League. However, Chelsea have the option to extend his contract by a further year.

Thomas Tuchel, who coached Silva at PSG and now at Chelsea, has previously suggested there must be patience over a new deal, despite how happy he has been with him.

But Silva has now strongly suggested he sees his future at Stamford Bridge.

“I hope to continue like this,” Silva told Sky Sport Italia. “I want to continue to play at this level and get to the World Cup in 2022.

“Thomas Tuchel is doing an amazing job here at Chelsea.”

“My secret is hard work. All my career I prepared to reach the end stage.

“I took as my example Maldini who played until 40 with Milan. In the last six months we played together it was an extraordinary thing.

“From that moment I started to think that if I prepared I could be at that level at age 36. I still play in the Champions League which is the most important tournament.

“I want to follow the path blazed by Maldini.”

Thomas Tuchel backs Thiago Silva

Thomas Tuchel backs Thiago Silva

Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel says he understands Thiago Silva's feeling that success is only judged on Champions League progress.

Silva has made 24 appearances for Chelsea so far, scoring two goals. Of those appearances, 18 have come in the Premier League, all of which have been starts.

Chelsea have kept clean sheets in half of the league games Silva has started, in a sign of his influence on the team.

Tuchel in Champions League message

Silva and Tuchel reached the final of the Champions League with PSG last season and are now 180 minutes away from doing the same with Chelsea.

The Blues will play the winner of the quarter-final between Liverpool and Real Madrid in the last four. There are certainly no easy opponents at this stage but Tuchel insists it’s anyone’s game.

“We’re in the competition and in the semi-final it is anyone’s competition,” the German said.

“In the semi-final, you need players fit, you need momentum and you need luck in the games.

“When you look on the scoresheet last week, you saw two players who scored their first goals in the competition (Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell).

“When you look at Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, Karim Benzema or Mo Salah score, it is their 50th or 100th goal or something.

“We have arrived with a very young team. We want a young team to turn it around.

“What a young team can do is run, fight and hang in there. It is a big adventure for them and it is a big step to be here.


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“It is a very big achievement. You see when Chelsea was last in the semi-final.

“We are not used to being there. Once you are there, you play for the final; this is clear.

“We take every minute to learn and grow. You cannot improve without these experiences so we are doing it now during the process, while we are playing it.

“Yes, it is nice being on the sideline because you see all the effort.”

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