蒂亞戈˙席爾瓦：非常想拿世俱盃、肯尼迪有機會創紀錄 - 切爾西足球俱樂部 Chelsea Football Club

https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2022/02/12/
club-world-cup-final-exclusive--thiago-silva-on-his-new-dream--c

Club World Cup final exclusive: Thiago Silva on his new dream, Chelsea's
preparation and Palmeiras

12 Feb 2022


On the day Chelsea will try to add new silverware to our trophy cabinet,
Thiago Silva tells us about his Club World Cup near-misses, how Palmeiras
are perceived in Brazil, and why he is so determined to return to London
with a smile on his face…


https://i.imgur.com/QUoHiu1.jpg


If things had worked out just a little differently, Thiago Silva would
have played against Chelsea in the final of the 2008 Club World Cup.


Football is a cruel mistress, though. Barely six weeks after our
heartbreaking penalty shoot-out defeat to Manchester United in Moscow, a
Fluminense team containing a young Thiago Silva suffered the same fate in
the Copa Libertadores, the South American equivalent of the Champions
League.


https://i.imgur.com/Bxbx53Z.jpg
A 23-year-old Thiago arrives in Quito ahead of the Copa Libertadores final
first leg


The Libertadores final used to be a two-legged affair, and in 2008,
three-and-a-half hours of football could not separate Fluminense, the Rio
giants, and LDU Quito. Flu had fallen 4-2 in the Ecuadorian altitude
before roaring back at the Maracana, despite conceding an early goal. A
hat-trick from Thiago Neves took the showpiece to extra-time, and when no
further goals were scored in front of nearly 90,000 frenzied supporters,
penalties would have to separate the sides after an epic final finished
5-5 on aggregate.


https://i.imgur.com/vdJKDxm.jpg
Flares spell out the name of Fluminense prior to kick-off at the Maracana


Bar a tiny pocket of travelling fans, the Maracana was then silenced as
Quito won the shoot-out 3-1. Thiago Silva's Club World Cup story would not
be written yet.


'I have had big disappointments in my career and that was definitely one
of them,' recalls Thiago on the eve of our meeting with Palmeiras here in
Abu Dhabi.


'It was a dream of all the club's supporters to win that title. It was the
same story for me at Paris, that was a big disappointment losing to
Bayern. But that's football. You have to keep working to find it, and
after I arrived in London, in my first year I brought the Champions League
home. It was very important for me.


https://i.imgur.com/QJjVmkH.jpg
After the long-awaited win that got Thiago to this point


'I always have a dream I want to achieve. I realised the dream of winning
the Champions League. Now I have the dream of winning the Club World Cup,
and after the dream of winning the World Cup in Qatar.


'It's my first time playing in the Club World Cup,' continues Thiago. 'Not
only in Brazil but in all South America, it's a very exciting and
important competition. For the people in Europe it's not the most
important cup, but for me, like the good Brazilian I am, it's magnificent
to play in this competition.'


Thiago explains he has changed a lot in the 14 years that have passed
since that Libertadores defeat, and it is seminal moments such as those
that have helped shame him into the player and person he is today. His
professional career now spans two decades, and the experience he has
garnered in that time ensures he continues to belie his age. At 37, Thiago
looks as good as ever in the heart of Chelsea and Brazil's defence.


Trying to stop Thiago realising his latest dream are Palmeiras, the
Parakeets of Sao Paulo.


'They're a very good club in Brazil,' he tells us. 'In the past they have
been very strong, playing a lot in the Libertadores and winning it once
before. Now they are one of the biggest clubs in Brazil, and have won the
Libertadores two years in a row giving them the possibility to come here
and play this competition.


'They are a very well-structured club. I have seen that when the national
team have trained at the Palmeiras training centre. They deserve to be
here, and we have to respect their history because it's a big club with
good supporters.


'It's big for them, but it's big for us too. We have never won it. That
makes it extra important. At the end, it's football. One of the two will
go home sad, the other will go home happy.'


He reveals he has spoken to Kenedy, who came on for Flamengo in the
Libertadores final in November, about Palmeiras's strengths, joking the
player who rejoined the Chelsea squad in January must be the first to lose
a Libertadores final and still have the chance to play in the Club World
Cup. 'It's great Kenedy has that possibility,' says our number six with a
smile.


https://i.imgur.com/ZoYvJuC.jpg
Our two Brazilians enjoying training earlier this week


There is work to be done if we are to write more Chelsea history, and
Thiago knows it. As he lays out what is required from the Blues today, he
believes the team are in good shape ahead of the final.


'First of all, we have recovered well from the semi-final,' emphasises
Thiago. 'It was a very difficult match to play. We have only had three
days before the final, so you don't have much time to work tactically and
plan differently for the team we face, Palmeiras. They have had an extra
day to prepare but it's not an excuse. We have prepared well, and I hope
when it's over we will return to London with this cup.


'It's been good to spend time all together this week and we have the
chance to win an excellent trophy, above all because Chelsea hasn't done
so yet. It's very important for me, for the club, for the group and for
the staff, and we have prepared in the best manner possible to bring the
trophy back to London.'


When Man United edged past Quito 1-0 in Yokohama, Thiago Silva watched on
wondering what might have been. So did Chelsea as Corinthians lifted the
trophy in 2012. Today, those demons can be laid to rest.

--

"Gracchus, something more cheerful."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgUPSBZV_pM

- Rome: Season 1, Episode 3

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