DONE DEAL: THIAGO SILVA SIGNS FOR PORTO TO CHASE TWENTY-TWENTY-SIX WORLD CUP DREAM
Thiago Silva is back in Europe! The 41-year-old has signed for FC Porto after ending his contract early with Fluminense.
Thiago Silva, the 41-year-old Brazilian player, is now a free agent. He has ended his contract with Fluminense early. After a year and a half back with his first club, the defender is thinking about going back to Europe, where he used to play for AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea.
Silva Might Return to Europe
After playing in Europe for 18 years, Silva is thinking about returning after a short time with Fluminense. O Jogo says that FC Porto wants to sign him. Silva is currently a free agent after ending his contract with the Brazilian club earlier this month.
The experienced defender said he was retiring from the Brazil national team in 2022, but now he wants to play for Carlo Ancelotti's team again with the 2026 World Cup coming up. Because of this, Silva wants to play regularly in Europe and might take the offer.
One of the big reasons Silva ended his Fluminense contract was that he wanted to be near his family, who have been living in London since he played for Chelsea.
Fluminense's Statement on Silva's Departure
The Brazilian team said in a statement about Silva leaving: Fluminense FC says that defender Thiago Silva ended his contract with the club this Tuesday at the Carlos Castilho Training Centre.
Thiago, who grew up playing for the Tricolor, is ending his second time with the club's professional team. He won the 2007 Copa do Brasil and has 212 games and 19 goals while playing for the tricolor.
Thiago Silva, a world football star, came back to the club last year and left behind a legacy of hard work and love for Fluminense. The club thanks him for everything and wishes him the best.
Chelsea Was Told to Sign Silva Again
Darren Bent, who used to play in the Premier League, told talkSPORT that Chelsea should bring Silva back to Stamford Bridge: If I'm Chelsea, I'm trying to get him back in some way, even if it's just to play. I watched him play for Fluminense in the Club World Cup, and he still looked good. He's not as fast as he used to be because he's older. But he's still smart and gets his body in the right spot.
He knows he's not the fastest anymore, so he drops back a bit. I played against Thiago Silva when he was at his best. He was great! Brazil versus England... amazing. He had everything: jumps, speed, and power. Now, he just knows the game so well, and if I'm Chelsea, I'm trying to bring him back.
He added, "You could sign a 21-year-old, and they wouldn't be as good as him." With that much experience and respect, he'll put his teammates in the right spots so he doesn't get caught out. I think he would be great for Chelsea. I'm not saying for a long time. It's obvious to bring him back. His kids are still connected to the club, and he loves London. I know it's not long-term, but it buys you time. I watched him in the Club World Cup, and he still looked great. He still defended well and knew the game. What other choices are there?
What's Next for Silva?
The 41-year-old is known as one of the best defenders of his time. He had a great career before and after joining Chelsea. He became famous at AC Milan, winning Serie A in 2011, and then spent eight good years at Paris St-Germain, winning seven Ligue 1 titles.
He played for Brazil over 110 times, winning the 2013 Confederations Cup and the 2019 Copa America. In August 2020, at age 36, Silva signed with Chelsea for free, which was a great move. He quickly brought stability, organisation, and leadership to a defence that had struggled the year before.
Silva wants to join FC Porto soon and play in Europe again before trying to get into Ancelotti's World Cup team next summer.
WHY DID CRISTIANO RONALDO CRY? LUKA MODRIC EXPOSES JOSE MOURINHO’S HARSHEST LECTURE
Luka Modric reveals Jose Mourinho once reduced Cristiano Ronaldo to tears at Real Madrid for failing to track back defensively.
Luka Modric says that Jose Mourinho once gave Cristiano Ronaldo such a harsh lecture that the guy was in tears.
Ronaldo, who's 40 now, played really well under Mourinho, who's 62. They were together at Real Madrid for three seasons, but apparently, they didn't always get along off the field.
Even though things got off to a slow start, the Portuguese superstar still managed to score 168 goals in 164 games while playing for Mourinho. He also helped Mourinho win three trophies in his first two seasons.
But get this: even with superstars like Karim Benzema and Angel Di Maria on his team, Mourinho was still super critical of Ronaldo's effort on defense.
Modric, who Mourinho signed from Tottenham back in 2013, told a story about one argument that made Ronaldo cry. Apparently, it was because he didn't chase after his assigned player.
"I saw him make Cristiano Ronaldo cry in the locker room," Modric told Corriere della Sera, an Italian news outlet. Can you believe it? A guy who always gives it his all on the field, and he's getting yelled at because he didn't chase some defender.
Modric moved to Real Madrid in 2013 and only played under Mourinho for a year.
Modric, who played alongside Kaka and Mesut Ozil in the midfield after arriving for a big £33 million, didn't say which game the argument happened in.
Guillem Balague, a Spanish soccer journalist, wrote in Ronaldo's biography that Ronaldo and Mourinho almost fought after Mourinho yelled at him in the locker room following a 2-0 win against Valencia in January 2013.
Mourinho was mad because Ronaldo didn't seem willing to help out on defense during the game. And Ronaldo supposedly replied, After everything I've done for you, this is how you treat me? How dare you say that to me!
Later that season, which turned out to be Mourinho's last with the team, Ronaldo was constantly asked about Mourinho's future. "I don't care," he said once. What I care about is my own future and the club.
This was a big change from earlier that year, when Mourinho said before the 2012 Ballon d'Or race, If Messi is the best on the planet, Ronaldo is the best in the universe!
After Mourinho left Real Madrid, he went on Spanish TV to talk about what caused the problems between him and Ronaldo.
"I only had one problem with him," he said. It was simple. When a coach gives a player feedback on tactics, they are trying to help them get better, in my opinion. He didn't take it well because he probably thinks he knows everything, and the coach can't help him.
Mourinho also said that they didn't really have a relationship. But time seemed to fix things, as he later said that coaching Ronaldo was the best thing that ever happened in his career.
Ronaldo also seemed to warm up to Mourinho later on, even saying that he was the best coach he ever had, even better than Sir Alex Ferguson. "I'd put him at the top; I always say that," Ronaldo said.
Ronaldo scored 168 goals in 164 games while playing for Mourinho during their three years together.
Even though Modric didn't win any trophies in his first season at Madrid, he was so impressed by Mourinho that he repeated something Mourinho famously said about himself.
He's special, as a coach and as a person, Modric said. He was the one who wanted me at Real Madrid. I wouldn't have come without him. I'm sad I only had him for one season.
Modric spent 13 years at Real Madrid, mostly managed by Carlo Ancelotti. Now he's at AC Milan and managed by Massimiliano Allegri. But he says Mourinho is the toughest of the three.
He added, "Mourinho is really direct with the players, but he's honest." He treated Sergio Ramos and new players the same way. If he had something to say, he'd say it. Max is the same way. He tells you what's right and wrong to your face. Honesty is key.
Modric also shared his opinion on the never-ending debate of who's better, Lionel Messi or Ronaldo, but said he doesn't really like talking about it.
"I don't like that question," he said. They both defined an era. I'm closer to Cristiano because I played with him; he was my teammate at Madrid, and I can tell you he's not just a great player, he's an amazing person. People don't know it, but he has a big heart and is always ready to help others. He's just a simple, normal guy.
He added, "I don't know Messi personally, but I'm sure he's great too." As a player, he's incredible.
CELTIC FANS DEMAND BOARD SACK WILFRIED NANCY AFTER SHOCK MOTHERWELL DEFEAT TONIGHT
Wilfried Nancy dismisses sack talk after Celtic's 2-0 loss at Motherwell. With Rangers closing in, the Old Firm looms large.
After Celtic's fifth loss in seven games under his leadership, Wilfried Nancy brushed off ideas that Saturday's Old Firm game would decide his future.
Tuesday's match at Fir Park, called 'El Passico' due to both teams' open play styles, saw Motherwell outperform the Frenchman's team. Ibrahim Said and Elliot Watt scored on either side of halftime.
The 2-0 defeat, Celtic's 17th this year, meant Hearts stayed three points ahead in the league, while Rangers closed in, now just three points behind Nancy's squad after a 2-1 victory over St Mirren.
At the end of the game, visiting fans chanted for the board to be sacked, and some even demanded the manager's immediate dismissal. When asked if his first derby was a make-or-break moment, Nancy responded, No, not really. Every game matters to me and the team.
I'm not focused on my future. I'm focusing on what I'm doing now, what I need to do to help the team get better, and what we need to do as a team to improve. That's how I see it.
When asked if he understood the fans' deep worry about the lack of progress during his time, Nancy was indignant.
Progress? "There is progress," he insisted. But tonight, the situation and the opponent were tough.
This is a fact. Now, we need to figure out how to get better, and that's what we've been working on from the start. Tonight was rough. That's the truth.
When questioned about feeling the pressure after such a bad start as the champion's manager, Nancy added, As a manager, I don't want this, obviously.
Pressure doesn't change how I think. We know we have to perform well.
But right now, this is how it is. I knew it could be like this. We've had good games at times. Tonight was a hard one.
Regarding whether he was sure he could turn things around, Nancy said, Yes, I'm sure. I had to make some choices about the team tonight. I believe in what we're trying to do and where we're going. This was a hard game, difficult for us, but I think we'll improve.
Motherwell's manager, Jens Berthel Askou, praised his team, saying it was probably their best game of the season.
"We knew we'd probably need our best, most solid, and most complete performance, both with and without the ball, to win," he said.
We've had really big and good performances, but they haven't led to wins against Rangers or Celtic. So, that's what we got, and that's what we needed. It was amazing to see.