Thiago Silva Compares PSG Teammate Marco Verratti to Andrea Pirlo

Paris Saint-Germain captain Thiago Silva believes Marco Verratti has all the ingredients to become a world class midfielder in the mold of Italy legend Andrea Pirlo.

Verratti's rise to prominence over the past few years has seen him courted by the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid with the latter especially interested in acquiring his services.

Having claimed three Ligue 1 titles, six domestic cups and 15 caps for the Italy National Team since moving to the French capital from Pescara, Verratti is now being encouraged by teammates Silva and Blaise Matuidi.

"Marco is strong both on and off the pitch," Silva told Goal. 

"He has a unique personality. He takes a lot of responsibility on the pitch, doing things that normally a midfielder wouldn't try to do. 

"He can become one of the best players in the world, like Andrea Pirlo."

Matuidi echoed Silva's sentiments, placing Verratti at the center of PSG's transformation into a European powerhouse over the past few years.

"Marco is one of the symbols of the club," Matuidi told Goal. 

"When he came here he had never played at the highest level.

"He has grown up with us, four years have passed and we all evolved together. Playing alongside such great players also helped."

Marco Verratti can follow Andrea Pirlo to become world's best - Thiago Silva

Thiago Silva believes Paris Saint-Germain teammate Marco Verratti can emulate Andrea Pirlo and become "one of the best players in the world."

Verratti, 23, joined PSG from hometown club Pescara in 2012, and has since won three Ligue 1 titles at the heart of the French champions' midfield.

The Italy international has been linked with a move to Barcelona as a result of his fine form, and PSG skipper SIlva says the midfielder reminds him of Azzurrigreat and current New York City FC midfielder Pirlo.

"Marco is strong both on and off the pitch," former Brazil captain Silva told Goal. "He has a unique personality.

"He takes a lot of responsibility on the pitch, doing things that normally a midfielder wouldn't try to do. He can become one of the best players in the world, like Andrea Pirlo."

Ex-Barcelona midfielder Demetrio Albertini said in October that Verratti reminds him more of Camp Nou legend Xavi than Pirlo, adding: "He plays like a Barcelona player would by making short passes. He is different from Pirlo but he is still great.

"Pirlo makes the entire team play well regardless of his teammates. Marco needs the help of those around him a bit more, but that's not necessarily a bad thing."

Pirlo won the 2006 World Cup with Italy, with two Champions League trophies and two Serie A titles coming at AC Milan.

The 36-year-old midfielder was deemed surplus to requirements at the San Siro in 2011 before going on to inspire Juventus to four straight Scudettos.

World XI shortlist shows sharp fall in Premier League numbers

The number of Premier League players considered among the world's best has halved in just three years.

The 55-strong shortlist for the 2015 FIFA FIFPro World XI was announced on Thursday and contained only 10 players from the English top flight.

Back in 2012, the Premier League boasted 20 names on that list, with that sharp tail-off raising fresh questions of the current quality within the English club game.

Chelsea captain John Terry and Manchester United skipper Wayne Rooney are the only English players to make this year's shortlist, as opposed to three years ago when they were among seven selected.

Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale is another shortlisted for this year's team, with the Wales international among 12 former Premier League players named.

Manchester City make up the crux of the current Premier League representatives, with Vincent Kompany, David Silva, Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero shortlisted.

Reigning champions Chelsea saw Terry, Branislav Ivanovic and Eden Hazard included, while Manchester United captain Rooney and David de Gea also made the 55-strong list along with Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez.

In contrast, Real Madrid alone had 12 players on the FIFA FIFPro World XI shortlist, while Bayern Munich had 11 and European champions Barcelona 10.

The award is decided by the players and involves votes from nearly 25,000 professional footballers from an estimated 70 different countries.

Players select one goalkeeper, four defenders, three midfielders and three forwards, with the final World XI to be announced at the FIFA Ballon d'Or award ceremony on January 11, 2016.

FIFA FIFPro World XI shortlist:

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Italy, Juventus), Iker Casillas (Spain, Porto), David De Gea (Spain, Manchester United), Keylor Navas (Costa Rica, Real Madrid), Manuel Neuer (Germany, Bayern Munich)

Defenders: David Alaba (Austria, Bayern Munich), Jordi Alba (Spain, Barcelona), Daniel Alves (Brazil, Barcelona), Jerome Boateng (Germany, Bayern Munich), Daniel Carvajal (Spain, Real Madrid), Giorgio Chiellini (Italy, Juventus), David Luiz (Brazil, Paris St Germain), Diego Godin (Uruguay, Atletico Madrid), Mats Hummels (Germany, Borussia Dortmund), Branislav Ivanovic (Serbia, Chelsea), Vincent Kompany (Belgium, Manchester City), Philipp Lahm (Germany, Bayern Munich), Marcelo (Brazil, Real Madrid), Javier Mascherano (Argentina, Barcelona), Pepe (Portugal, Real Madrid), Gerard Pique (Spain, Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Spain, Real Madrid), Thiago Silva (Brazil, Paris St Germain), John Terry (England, Chelsea), Raphael Varane (France, Real Madrid)

Midfielders: Thiago Alcantara (Spain, Bayern Munich), Xabi Alonso (Spain, Bayern Munich), Sergio Busquets (Spain, Barcelona), Eden Hazard (Belgium, Chelsea), Andres Iniesta (Spain, Barcelona), Toni Kroos (Germany, Real Madrid), Luka Modric (Croatia, Real Madrid), Andrea Pirlo (Italy, New York City FC), Paul Pogba (France, Juventus), Ivan Rakitic (Croatia, Barcelona), James Rodriguez (Colombia, Real Madrid), David Silva (Spain, Manchester City), Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast, Manchester City), Marco Verratti (Italy, Paris St Germain), Arturo Vidal (Chile, Bayern Munich)

Forwards: Sergio Aguero (Argentina, Manchester City), Gareth Bale (Wales, Real Madrid), Karim Benzema (France, Real Madrid), Douglas Costa (Brazil, Bayern Munich), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden, Paris St Germain), Robert Lewandowski (Poland, Bayern Munich), Lionel Messi (Argentina, Barcelona), Thomas Muller (Germany, Bayern Munich), Neymar (Brazil, Barcelona), Arjen Robben (Netherlands, Bayern Munich), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Real Madrid), Wayne Rooney (England, Manchester United), Alexis Sanchez (Chile, Arsenal), Luis Suarez (Uruguay, Barcelona), Carlos Tevez (Argentina, Boca Juniors)

Thiago Silva limps off

PSG's task against Barcelona was made that much harder when Laurent Blanc lost Thiago Silva to a suspected muscle problem in the 18th minute.

The PSG captain was replaced by Brazil teammate David Luiz, who was pressed into an earlier-than-planned comeback having himself been side-lined recently.

It remains to be seen how serious Silva's injury is, but for now his chances of featuring in the return leg at the Camp Nou next week must be considered slim at best. It is worth remembering that the Ligue I champions were also deprived of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marco Verratti in the first leg, with the pair both suspended.

Spanish clubs make impressive starts

Spanish clubs gave another demonstration of their efficiency in Europe when Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Sevilla began their Champions League campaigns without conceding a goal in convincing victories on Tuesday.

Real, the record 10-time winners and 2014 champions, crushed 10-man Shakhtar Donetsk 4-0 at the Bernabeu, Atletico won 2-0 at Galatasaray and Europa League holders Sevilla thumped Borussia Moenchengladbach 3-0 at the Sanchez Pizjuan.

The success of Spanish clubs marked a sharp contrast with their rivals from the English Premier League, with Manchester United and Manchester City both surrendering their lead in 2-1 defeats at PSV Eindhoven and at home to Juventus.

Real forward Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to reach 80 Champions League goals when he netted a Group A hat-trick against Shakhtar, who had midfielder Taras Stepanenko sent off five minutes into the second half.

Portugal captain Ronaldo, who hit five past Espanyol in La Liga on Saturday, moved three clear of Barca forward Lionel Messi on the all-time scoring chart.

Afterwards, the 30-year-old hit back at critics who had suggested he might be past it after he failed to score in Real’s opening two La Liga games of the campaign.

“Before I was bad and now I am good because I scored eight goals,” Ronaldo told Spanish television.

Antoine Griezmann struck twice for Atletico, the 2014 runners-up, as Diego Simeone’s side made light of what can be a intimidating trip to Galatasaray’s stadium in Istanbul.

The France forward said the Group C victory would help the team put Saturday’s 2-1 La Liga defeat at home to Barca behind them.

Sevilla coach Unai Emery said his side’s Group D performance against Gladbach, when they missed one penalty but scored from two others, would help boost confidence as the Andalusians try to get their stuttering La Liga campaign going following a defeat and two draws in their opening three matches.

“Today we found the identity we are looking for this season,” Emery told a news conference. “It gives us confidence to help turn around our results in La Liga.”

Draxler fires Wolfsburg to win

Julian Draxler’s first goal for Wolfsburg was enough for the Bundesliga runner-up to begin their second Champions League campaign with a 1-0 win over CSKA Moscow on Tuesday.

Draxler, brought in from league rival Schalke to replace the departed Kevin de Bruyne, broke the deadlock in the Group B game five minutes before the break. The Germany midfielder stabbed home the rebound from close range after Igor Akinfeev saved his initial headed effort from Ricardo Rodriguez’ cross.

Wolfsburg dominated the match but failed to take a number of chances to put the result beyond doubt.

“If you look at the chances and counter attacks we had, should have made it 2-0 fairly quickly. Then we would have been a little more at ease,” Wolfsburg winger Andre Schuerrle said.

Schuerrle should have scored early on after being played through by Draxler only to be thwarted by Akinfeev’s foot, and Daniel Caligiuri beat the offside trap, but hesitated and allowed Georgy Shchennikov to make a crucial block.

“We have to be more decisive in front of goal,” Caligiuri said.

The Russian visitors improved somewhat in the second half, Pontus Wernbloom forcing Diego Benaglio into action before Zoran Tosic’s shot was easily dealt with by the Wolfsburg ‘keeper.

The German side’s first Champions League campaign also began with a win over CSKA, 3-1 on September 15, 2009 thanks to Brazilian striker Grafite’s hat trick.

Newcomer Astana beaten

Nicolas Gaitan and Kostas Mitroglou scored in the second half to give Benfica a 2-0 win over plucky Champions League newcomer Astana in their Group C opener Tuesday.

Gaitan got the breakthrough in the 51st minute, breaking into the area from the left flank and firing a low drive into the far corner. Mitroglou extended the Portuguese club’s lead 11 minutes later when he tapped in Eliseu’s cross from the left.

The goals came after a frustrating first half in which Benfica dominated the run of play, but lacked the speed and imagination to pierce Astana’s packed defence.

Astana, the first team from Kazakhstan to reach the competition’s group phase, produced a competent performance and looked poised to upset Benfica when substitute Aleksei Schetkin hit the post in the 46th minute.

Benfica mostly dictated the game but in the first half lacked the speed and imagination to pierce Astana’s packed defence.

Junior Kabananga and Georgi Zhukov threatened for Astana but the visitors didn’t have the sophistication needed to make any real headway.

Benfica are making their sixth consecutive Champions League appearance and has lost just one of their last 15 European games at the Stadium of Light.

Di Maria inspires PSG

Di Maria brought his delicate touch to Paris St Germain’s game as the French champions started their Champions League campaign with a routine 2-0 home win against Malmo on Tuesday.

Di Maria scored after four minutes of their Group A match o and Edinson Cavani made it 2-0 in the 61st minute in a one-way encounter at the Parc des Princes.

Playing against the club where he started his career, PSG forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic looked a bit rusty, having played only one league game in an injury-plagued start to his season. He was replaced by Javier Pastore 15 minutes from time.

Malmo thought their moment had come in the 26th minute but Markus Rosenberg’s goal was disallowed after the forward had fouled Thiago Silva.

Why Arsenal's Gabriel can become Dunga's new star

As opposed to the capital Brasilia or the highly reputable Rio De Janeiro, Sao Paulo could be described as the spiritual home of Brazilian football due to the influx of players that have come out of the city.

But only a handful has ever plied their trade in the English Premier League as the two styles in play contrast so starkly. The only player from the metropolis of Sao Paulo to, as of yet make a telling impact in England is Middlesborough’s greatest ever player. Juninho.



This just goes to show despite being from the much romanticised heartland of this beautiful game we call football when it comes to competing in the Premier League only a clutch of Brazilian’s really leave a lasting positive mark. 
Step forward this 24 year old centre back who is aiming to crack both the English game but more pertinently right now break into Carlos Dunga’s national side.
Gabriel’s route thus far has been a rapid one, probably best exemplified by his brief two years in Spain with Villarreal. In his second, which happened to be his last season at El Madrigal, he took advantage of the clubs defensive injury crisis to form a formidable partnership with Victor Ruiz which saw him keep 17 clean sheets in the 19 games he featured.

However, this rise into Dunga’s Selecao plans really shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise with the defender excelling throughout his fleeting career so far. During his time in Brazil he won the best defender in the 2013 Campeonato Baiano, combining this with a Championship win. 
Arsene Wenger revealed a key reason for signing the rookie defender was his impressive stats, this shows how the game is evolving as each team tries to get the upperhand – the use of statistics may well be most famously used in the Premier League by ex-Liverpool director of football Damien Comolli who used this method to sign the likes of Luis Suarez, Stuart Downing and Jordan Henderson during his time on Merseyside. 

Wenger said of his new signing last January; “Gabriel is a more typical defender. He is a real defender, who wants to defend. He’s from São Paulo. He’s a Paulista. You have Rio players and you have São Paulo players. One is a beach area [Rio] and the other is more hard-working.”
Gabriel had only been in North London two months when Dunga included him in his squad for the first time for a game against Chile ironically at The Emirates Stadium. Despite not getting on the pitch until now and not featuring at the Copa America it is clear Dunga has huge hopes for the player. 



This latest international break has seen the 24 year old make the grade for the game against the USA on September 8th as Thiago Silva misses out and don’t be surprised with his Arsenal team-mate Per Mertesacker aging that he can spend more minutes on the field this coming season and in the long term be Brazil’s first choice centre back come Russia 2018. 

Lucas Lima could be the all-action midfielder Brazil have been missing

Brazil coach Dunga made some controversial decisions when he named his squad to face Costa Rica and the USA in the coming warm-up friendlies. Some of the controversy has since died down, especially since Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho, the most surprising omission, was given another chance after Chelsea's Oscar pulled out injured. Marcelo of Real Madrid is another late inclusion, recalled at left-back following an injury to Filipe Luis of neighbours Atletico.

Thiago Silva, though, remains out. One of the world's top centre-backs is clearly being blamed for the Copa America elimination just over two months ago; it was he who needlessly gave away a penalty that allowed Paraguay to equalise in the fateful quarterfinal. The clear suspicion is that Dunga feels that the defender is too emotionally brittle to represent his country in high-pressure situations.

Of all the newcomers, it is the recall of Kaka that leaps off the page. The obvious explanation is that Dunga believes his side lacks experience and leadership as they prepare for South America's ultra-competitive World Cup qualification campaign. Kaka has been brought back not only as a player, but also as a dressing-room influence -- a point underlined by the fact that when Brazil trained on Tuesday, Kaka was not in the starting XI.

Lucas Lima, though, was. Largely unknown to the international audience, the left-footed Santos midfielder may end up being the most important of the new additions. Certainly he is shaping up to be the most interesting.

A month ago in the Maracana, Santos were two goals down at half-time against Flamengo, and it could have been worse. At the interval, coach Dorival Junior made a change. Lucas Lima, who had flapped about to little effect in the opening 45 minutes, was withdrawn to a central midfield position. In the second half he ran the game, directing operations from deep, linking the side together, offering a threat to the opposing goal. Santos took control and hit back to draw 2-2, Lucas Lima set up the first goal and scored the other.

More important than the scoreline was the way in which it was achieved. The main area in which Brazilian football has fallen behind is in terms of its midfield play. Over recent times the centre of the pitch has been divided between shielding players who only mark, and creative players who only set up the play. There have been no equivalents of the likes of Andrea Pirlo, Xavi or Bastian Schweinsteiger; midfield maestros who dictate the tempo of the game. The great Tostao, Brazil's centre-forward at the 1970 World Cup and the wisest writer on the local game, has long bemoaned that Brazil have not produced a world-class all-round midfielder in more than two decades.

Lucas Lima is unlikely to fill that void, but it is highly encouraging to see a player with the technical ability and the match-reading skills to exert such an influence on the game. Something of a late developer at the age of 25, his flowering with Santos could have important consequences for the national team.

"Lucas Lima should start both of Brazil's next two friendlies," Tostao wrote last week. "Who knows, perhaps he can reproduce his Santos form, or play even better, and be the midfielder that the team have missed so much, with the talent to play from one penalty box to the other."

Tim is an English journalist who has been based in Brazil for over 20 years. He is the South American football correspondent for the BBC Sport website.

Carlo Ancelotti – I did it all

The stage is set, a Champions League final is about to be played, the players are anxiously waiting for their coach to come in and deliver an epic oration which gives them just the final push they need to take it home. Empowering words, life-saving final tips, bolstering enthusiasm are just some of the things that a coach is supposed to coat his players with just before a life-altering match. But what if the coach comes in and talks about what’s going to be served for dinner later that night, or starts joking? Carlo Ancelotti is one such coach. Perhaps not having to say anything about the match is the greatest compliment and vote of confidence he could give to his players.

Carlo Ancelotti is like a cool Dad, he will do all kinds of pranks with you (including wrapping a teammate in toilet paper, disguising him as a mummy and scaring the other team mates) and he won’t ever say no to food. So if you’re a Sunderland player still bemoaning the lack of ketchup in your team kitchen (as Di Canio wanted it), go seek Carlo, he’s the man for you. He would be the coolest chaperone, ever. Carlo stands up for his players in the press conference and if there’s any problem, he’ll discuss it personally and help you joyfully sort it out. Carlo is a family man.

Ancelotti describes himself as a hopeless romantic who falls in love with the club he coaches. He also cites an explanation for using a pen and paper to make notes for his players.

“It gives a touch of humanity to what I do. You can’t write a love letter on a computer.”

Having learned the art from the legendary Arrigo Sacchi himself, he possessed a unique skillset early in his managerial years which gave him an advantage and which ultimately lead to him landing the Milan job (assuming his eyebrow raising  ”How you doin’?” wicked look was the main factor).

There are no doubts that his time at Milan was anything short of legendary. Milan was his Mecca, his elixir. Everyone played Carlo’s football their way, and it was in magical unison. But that isn’t all there is to his managerial career in Italy. Reggiana,Parma and Juventus were his previous teams, his “practice teams”, as it would turn out. Ancelotti was dogmatic when it came to the way his teams set up and was a loyalist to the 4-4-2.

He even decided against signing Roberto Baggio because of his stubbornness, but he learned. Everything came together for him at Milan. Improvement as a coach, a man and a friend. This was the point where he readily changed tactics and formations to better suit the players he had. It was Pirlo’s own suggestion to play deeper, and a younger Ancelotti wouldn’t have complied because it was clearly visible how poor Pirlo was there. After giving it some time, it turned out to be one of the most influential decisions in world football. The Maestro molded the position for himself and redefined the art of playmaking.

Ancelotti improvised and adjusted, like family members do. The incredible Milan team won two out of the three Champions League finals they played in a span of five years, becoming one of the greatest teams to have ever graced the football world, with players like Maldini, Nesta, Cafu and Stam in defense, Gattuso, Seedorf, Pirlo and Kaka in midfield, and Inzaghi and Shevchenko up front. Every Milan fan still holds Carlo in the highest regard, and it wouldn’t be surprising to find a tear-jerking collection of memoirs in every fan’s house, regardless of how things are at Milan right now.

Carletto, as he is lovingly called, refuses to believe in the notion that you need a grinning set of teeth or clenched fists flying in the air in a dressing room to get everyone pumped up. He’d rather sit around and poke fun at his players and talk it out. The team is his family and he refrains from putting them under pressure to get something uncomfortably. Instead of making his family suffer for something, he makes sure they are serene and aware of how they’re supposed to stand for each other. This immense selflessness instigates an unparalleled desire to win amongst his players, and they happily show what they’ve got on the field, unbounded. Ancelotti suffers and rejoices with his team as if he were with them on the field for every single moment, like a brother. Carlo is a family man.

Ancelotti then went on to Chelsea, where he established special relations with the players, who still long for him. With Ancelotti it was always a friendly environment and perhaps that laid the seed to the incredible camaraderie we see in the Chelsea team right now. His next project would be another highly influential period, at Paris Saint Germain. There was an influx of world class players like Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva, Thiago Motta, Marco Verratti and many more during his tenure at the French club. In fact, at least 6 of the current first team players at PSG were bought when Carlo Ancelotti was at the club. It just goes to show how much the players trusted him with their careers, moving to a club on the verge of a renaissance. They have gone from a club which players use as a stepping stone to get a move to bigger clubs to becoming a bigger club where all the players want to play.

The next thing that Carlo set out to conquer was the elusive La Decima, and he triumphed in his first attempt. Was that so hard, Jose? Taking on innumerable responsibilities at Madrid, he made sure everything went smoothly. From making sure Bale had a remarkable first season in a completely new country to tinkering Di Maria’s position, to making the once ‘Worst signing of the season’ the most important player of the team (Modric), things at Madrid kicked up a notch. Madrid were unstoppable and won the La Decima, undisputed. They only improved and tore teams apart in Carlo’s second season and went on a mind-boggling 22 match winning run, only to bottle it later on due to injuries, lack of squad depth and political issues. All of this still doesn’t consider the team they lost out to, Barcelona, who were on their way to a triple and registering another great team (don’t think of it any less just because they’ve done it once already), by two points. Two.

Real Madrid is a place where every player knows what his position is and how they dare not speak about anything Perez has to say or do. Yet, every player (including Ronaldo) rallied and showed how much they loved Carlo, hoping they would get to work with him for longer.

Carlo’s relation with Modric was a special one and they were much closer than one can imagine.

“All I can say is that he is a great coach and person,” the Croatian midfielder told reporters. “I’ve played my best football under him.

 

“He trusted me from day one. Sometimes, although you don’t win trophies, it does not mean you’re no good.

“Every player has his worth.” Man-management is an elusive skill for many modern managers but that is not the case for Mr.Ancelotti. It’s safe to say that he’s coached all kinds of players, from Zlatan Ibrahimovic, an adventurous chauvinist to Kaka, a humble and timid wallflower. Ancelotti has always been very accepting of his players’ attitude and qualities and has hardly tried to overtake their basic beliefs. For example, the visible selfishness in Yoann Gourcuff’s play was pointed out, but also used to the maximum by Ancelotti when needed. It’s heartening to train and improve a player’s footballing abilities. But when you try and change the attitude of a player, it causes internal problems and Carlo understood that.  Every single player had the utmost importance in his life.

Carlo has managed the best footballers on the planet and he has excelled. He’s been through four top European leagues, been through so much and he’s not done yet. He’s the only coach along with Bob Paisley to have won the European Cup thrice. Dortmund coach Tuchel recently said, “Creativity and discipline don’t exclude each other.” Carlo is a true connoisseur of this quote and has been a gift to football.

Ancelotti doesn’t know what’s next for him. He has often stated his desire to return to England. Maybe he could just return to his beloved Milan. Right now he’s on a sabbatical, undergoing a minor surgery and later planning on spending time with his grandchild, at home. Carlo is a family man.

Kaka aims to earn a spot on Brazil 2018 qualifying team

Orlando City SC midfielder Kaka said his goal is to remain with the Selecao for 2018 World Cup qualifying after the two September friendlies in the United States.

The 2007 Ballon d'Or winner, who played on Brazil's 2002 World Cup winning squad, was a surprise inclusion on Dunga's 24-man squad for two important tests against Costa Rica and the United States. Brazil will face Costa Rica at Red Bull Arena on Sept. 5, before taking on the U.S. team at Gillette Stadium on Sept. 8.

"This year we have four matches more after the two friendlies, and I would like to be part of this group so I will do everything possible," Kaka told ESPN. "In this moment, though, I am thinking about the short period, what I can give to the national team in this moment. I hope at these two friendlies to do everything to stay on national team."

Kaka, the 33-year-old former Milan and Real Madrid player, was included after being left out of the squads for the 2015 Copa America and the 2014 World Cup.

The five-time World Cup champions Brazil will open their World Cup qualifying campaign away against Copa America holders Chile in October.

Their first two home games will be against Venezuela in Fortaleza in October and Peru in Salvador in November.

"I see the national team in a transition period right now. Since the World Cup they have done a great streak with, I think it  was 11 matches won and that is a good streak," Kaka said in reference to Brazil having won 10 friendlies in a row headed into Copa America. "And then the Copa America and the loss against Paraguay raised questions again, but I think with patience and all of Brazil behind us we will return to being a credible team."

Brazil lost their second group game in the Copa America to Colombia and were then knocked out by Paraguay on penalties in quarterfinals.

Kaka is the most veteran player in a squad for the two friendlies that includes Neymar, Hulk, Lucas and Oscar but omits Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho and Paris Saint-Germain defender Thiago Silva.

During his professional career, Kaka made more than 89 appearances for Brazil, playing in three World Cups and winning a World Cup title in 2002. The midfielder last featured for Brazil in October 2014, coming off the bench in friendly victories over Japan and Argentina.

He has played a crucial role in Orlando City's inaugural campaign, and the club has attributed his current drought of no goals and just two assists in the last five games to an ankle knock.

"The league is growing a lot," Kaka said of MLS. "Our club is in its first year and it's not easy becausee you are starting a team from zero, new players and a series of things that make a difference in football and so it is not easy.

"But I am happy to play in this league, I see it growing and I know what it can do in future. After I signed with Orlando, many other players who had options in other markets decided to come here.

"I don't know whether my decision influenced them but the fact is that they are here. [NYCFC's Andrea] Pirlo, [LA Galaxy's Steven] Gerrard, [NYCFC's Frank] Lampard, [Galaxy's Gio] dos Santos, [Montreal's Didier] Drogba are all here and for the next markets and transfer windows more will come to play here."

"Thiago Silva est mort"

La cote de Thiago Silva au Brésil a chuté à toute vitesse depuis un an. Désormais, le défenseur central du Paris Saint-Germain est considéré comme une pleureuse au pays.

Il était arrivé à l'été 2012 au Paris Saint-Germain avec le statut officieux de meilleur défenseur central de la planète. Trois ans plus tard, que reste-t-il de Thiago Silva, que le FC Barcelone rêvait d'engager il y a encore quelques mois ? Si au Paris Saint-Germain le capitaine donne entière satisfaction même s'il manque parfois de leadership dans les grands rendez-vous en Ligue des champions, au Brésil, il n'est plus une référence.

Le nouveau sélectionneur, Carlos Dunga, en avait d'abord fait une doublure à sa prise de fonctions, au profit notamment de Joao Miranda, et ne l'a même pas convoqué en équipe nationale pour les deux prochaines rencontres contre le Costa Rica (5 septembre) et les États-Unis (8 septembre). Marquinhos, qui ne joue pas chez les Rouge et Bleu, a en revanche été retenu, un signe fort pour Thiago Silva.

"Un déséquilibre psychologique"

Pourtant, personne ne regrette l'ancien Milanais au pays. "Pour moi et pour la plupart des Brésiliens, Thiago Silva est mort en tant que capitaine, face au Chili, lors de la Coupe du monde. Et il est mort en tant que défenseur, face au Paraguay, lors de la Copa America, indique Renato Mauricio Prado, journaliste à O Globo sollicité par L'Equipe. A chaque fois, il craque. Il pleure, refuse de frapper un tir au but ou provoque un penalty enfantin. Il souffre d'un déséquilibre psychologique. C'est une pleureuse, et les Brésiliens n'aiment pas ça".

Les boulets du Parisien en Seleçao sont en effet lourds à porter. Au pays où le football est roi, ça ne passe pas, forcément. Mais Thiago Silva qui reste en France plutôt que de partir aux quatre coins du monde au moment des trêves internationales, ce n'est pas le PSG qui s'en plaindra. Sauf si, touché par ce statut d'indésirable, l'intéressé voit ses performances en club aller de mal en pis...

Thiago Silva says he's motivated by being left off Brazil squad

Paris Saint-Germain star Thiago Silva says his snub by Brazil coach Dunga will simply "motivate me more."

Silva, 30, was left out of the Brazil squad by Dunga, 51, for the Selecao's friendlies with Costa Rica and the United States early next month.

The central defender, who captained his country at last year's World Cup, will see PSG teammates David Luiz, Lucas and Marquinhos all head off to join the squad, a sight Silva believes will merely spur him forward.

"It's difficult for me. I don't know why I wasn't called up. I learned that at the same time as everyone else, he didn't call me before," the former AC Milan defender told media after an imperious display in PSG's Ligue 1 win over GFC Ajaccio on Sunday.

"It's going to be strange for me that there will be only five or six players at the Camp des Loges during the international break. I'm not used to that. But it will motivate me still more.

"I have to work to get my place back in the Selecao. But I'm happy in my own mind, I know I'm a great player."

Thiago Silva

For other people with the same name, see Thiago Silva (disambiguation).

Not to be confused with Brazilian-born Bulgarian footballer Tiago Silva or Portuguese footballer Tiago Rafael Maia Silva.

This name uses Portuguese naming customs. The first or maternal family name is Emiliano and the second or paternal family name is da Silva.

Thiago Silva

Personal information
Full name	Thiago Emiliano da Silva[1]
Date of birth	22 September 1984 (age 30)
Place of birth	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[2]
Playing position	Centre back
Club information
Current team	Paris Saint-Germain F.C.
Number	2
Youth career
1998	Fluminense
2000–2001	Barcelona
2001–2002	Fluminense
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2002–2003	RS Futebol	25	(2)
2003–2004	Juventude	28	(3)
2004–2005	Porto B	14	(5)
2005–2006	Dynamo Moscow	0	(0)
2006–2008	Fluminense	81	(6)
2009–2012	Milan	93	(5)
2012-	Paris Saint-Germain	78	(5)
National team‡
2008–2012	Brazil Olympic	8	(0)
2008–	Brazil	58	(4)
Honours[show]
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 16 August 2015. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 27 June 2015

Thiago Emiliano da Silva (Brazilian Portuguese: [tʃiˈaɡu ẽmiliˈɐ̃nu dɐ ˈsiwvɐ]; born 22 September 1984), commonly known asThiago Silva, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a central defender for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Brazilian national team.

After moving to Europe to join AC Milan in 2009, Silva established himself as one of the highest rated defenders in the world, winning the Serie A title with the Rossoneri in the 2010–11 season. In July 2012, Paris Saint-Germain signed him for a reported €42 million, making him then the second-most expensive defender in history behind Rio Ferdinand.^[3] With PSG, Silva has won three consecutive Ligue 1 championships, two consecutive Coupes de la Ligue and one Coupe de France.

A full international since 2008 and a non-playing member of their team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Silva captained Brazil to victory at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and fourth place at the World Cup a year later, both on home soil. He was also part of their squads for the two Olympic tournaments – winning a bronze in 2008 and silver four years later – and as manyCopa América editions, earning over 50 caps in all.

Contents

  [hide] 

• 1 Club career
  • 1.1 Early career
  • 1.2 Fluminense
  • 1.3 Milan
    • 1.3.1 2009–10 season
    • 1.3.2 2010–11 season
    • 1.3.3 2011–12 season
  • 1.4 Paris Saint-Germain
    • 1.4.1 2012–13 season
    • 1.4.2 2013–14 season
    • 1.4.3 2014–15 season
    • 1.4.4 2015–16 season
• 2 International career
  • 2.1 2014 World Cup
  • 2.2 2015 Copa América
• 3 Style of play
• 4 Career statistics
  • 4.1 Club
  • 4.2 International
    • 4.2.1 International goals
• 5 Honours
  • 5.1 Club
  • 5.2 International
  • 5.3 Individual
• 6 Personal life
• 7 References
• 8 External links

Club career[edit]

Early career[edit]

As a youngster, Thiago Silva was admitted into a school in the Campo Grande neighbourhood of Rio – coincidentally a feeder school for Fluminense. At the age of 14, Silva impressed Fluminense coach Maurinho during a friendly in Xerem. He was given a short trial, where he was given the role of a defensive midfielder. Silva’s playing opportunities were little, and due to that he decided to trial for other clubs. In 1999, at the age of 15, Silva auditioned at Madureira, Olaria, and Flamengo. He was rejected at each club – the trial at Flamengo being the most difficult as Silva was not even observed by coaches.^[4]

After another unsuccessful trial at Botafogo, Silva was taken on by Barcelona, a small Brazilian club in the lower divisions. The following year, Silva played at a showcase tournament in São Paulo in the hope of attracting attention of bigger clubs. It is there where he was spotted by Paulo César Carpegiani, who invited him to join RS Futebol Clubein the south of Brazil. By 2001, Silva was a professional and competed in the Brazilian Third Division and other regional tournaments with the first team. In a tournament played inAncona, Italy, Silva was spotted by Bruno Conti, a coach of AS Roma. Conti wanted him to play for Roma, but Silva did not accept the offer.^[5] Strong performances in his last season as a defensive midfielder led to Silva's move to Juventude.^[6]

Silva moved Juventude in 2004, where he played for six months. At 20 years old, Silva transitioned from midfield to defence under the tutelage of Ivo Wortmann.^[7] In his only season at Juventude, Silva was regarded as the revelation of the season. He was rated by Placar as the third-best defender in Brazil, and was included in the team of the season.^[8] Juventude had made a huge leap in league placement during Silva’s time at the club – from finishing 18th with 53 points in 2003, to finishing 7th with 70 points in 2004. Silva’s performances had caught the eye of many clubs with his outstanding performances, and he was sold to FC Porto.

Silva was bought by FC Porto for €2.5 million in 2004,^[9] but played only for the reserve team. After a year he joined Dynamo Moscow,^[10] where he was diagnosed withTuberculosis and was hospitalised for six months.^[11] His illness became much worse over time and his doctors told him that if he had been hospitalized two weeks later, he could have died.^[12] During his recovery, Silva decided to retire from football but was persuaded to reconsider by his mother.^[13]

Fluminense[edit]

Silva returned to football with the help of his former coach, Ivo Wortmann. In 2006, Wortmann was signed as a coach by Fluminense; Wortmann requested to bring Silva with him, in spite of Silva's health issues.^[6] On January 14, Fluminense announced the signing of Silva from Porto.^[14] Fluminense struggled in the 2006 Brasileirão, finishing 15th out of 20 teams; however, Silva was described as one of the better players in the season.^[15] It is during this time where Silva developed the nickname of O Monstro — Portuguese for The Monster.^[16]

2007 was a much better year for Flu, and for Silva. Fluminense finished 4th place in the 2007 Brasileirão, conceding only 39 goals in 38 matches, enough for the second-best defence in Brazil. More importantly, Fluminense managed a historic victory in the 2007 Copa do Brasil, winning the prestigious trophy for the first time. Silva played a decisive part in the victory; he started in every match, and scored the opening goal in the quarter-final, as well as the equalising goal in the semi-final.^[17] Silva's form through the season led him to be selected into Dunga's preliminary squad for the 2007 Copa América.^[18] After winning the Copa do Brasil, Silva was recognised by fans as the best defender in Brazil.^[19]At the end of the season, Silva was one of three nominees for "best central defender", alongside Breno and Fábio Luciano.^[20] The voting results were unveiled on the 4th of December, and Silva was selected as the second-best central defender for the 2007 Brasileirão.^[21]

"Silva is a phenomenon."

—Dunga, 2008^[22]

2008 was a bad year for Flu, but Silva's best on an individual level. Having devoted much of their efforts towards the 2008 Copa Libertadores,Fluminense's league form suffered, finishing in 14th place. On January 18, Silva was rewarded by the Fluminense's board for his 100th match in the tricolor. He was awarded a shirt with the number "100" and a plaque in honour of his achievements.^[23] Silva became an idol for youngFluminense supporters with his level of performances — the white wristband that Silva would wear during matches became a trend amongst teenagers in Rio who supported the tricolor.^[24] In May 2008, four fans painted a flag of Silva to honour what they deemed "the best central defender in Brazil". It was first shown in the Copa Libertadores semi-final against Boca Juniors^[25] — Silva scored a crucial equaliser in the same match.^[26]

Silva was included in the 2008 Brasileirão Team of the Season and was selected as the Fans' Player of the Season.^[27] Silva was widely regarded as one of Fluminense's most important performers in the 2008 Copa Libertadores,^[26][28][29] reaching the finals only to lose on penalties to LDU Quito. Silva's form for Fluminense earned him a call-up to theSeleção, to take part in the 2008 Summer Olympics.^[30] Silva was linked with many clubs in 2008, including the likes of Inter Milan, Chelsea, and Villarreal; however, he decided to join the Brazilian contingent already at AC Milan.^[31] The transfer was confirmed on December 12.^[32] In his final match for Fluminense, Silva was cheered by 50,000 supporters who were witnessing his last performance at the Maracanã.^[33]

Milan[edit]

After a five-month chase and a four-hour negotiation period, Silva agreed to a move to Milan for a €10 million fee, with net wages of €2.5 million on a four-year contract.^[34]Although Silva could not play competitive matches, he was able to train with the first team. In his first month at Milan, he was taught new defending techniques from Paolo Maldiniand Carlo Ancelotti.^[35] Silva played his first match for the Rossoneri in a friendly match against Hannover 96 on January 21, 2009; Silva played well, making ten tackles. His performance drew praise from Milan executive Adriano Galliani and teammate Clarence Seedorf.^[36] Silva was officially registered as a Milan player for the 2009-10 season.^[37]

2009–10 season[edit]

Silva played his first competitive match of the season against Siena on August 22, 2009. After the match, Silva was praised for a strong individual performance alongside teammate Alessandro Nesta.^[38] Milan legend Paolo Maldini claimed that Silva had the "physical and technical characteristics of a champion",^[39] and Nesta said that Silva would "extend my life as a central defender".^[40] On September 23, Silva left training with a muscle strain; he was inactive for the next four matches.^[41][42] In October, Silva followed a poor performance against Roma^[43] with two great displays against Real Madrid;^[44][45] Silva also had a wrongly disallowed goal in Milan’s away victory.^[46][47]

"Thiago Silva will extend my life as a central defender."

—Alessandro Nesta, 2009^[48]

On November 8, Silva scored a goal, and an own-goal in a 2–1 victory over Lazio.^[49] Silva's quick transition to European football was met with a lot of interest from Italian media — the investment of €10 million to acquire Silva was regarded as a good decision; La Gazzetta dello Sport, the largest daily newspaper in Italy,^[50] claimed that Silva's value had doubled at that point.^[51] On November 25, Silva put in a man of the match performance against Olympique de Marseille to secure passage into the knock-out stages of the UEFA Champions League.^[52] In a match against FC Zürich on December 8, Silva was substituted after 20 minutes with a muscle injury. It was suspected that Silva tore a muscle, and would miss up to two months;^[53] however, after clinical examinations, the injury was found to be a strain rather than a tear.^[54] On December 30, Silva was pronounced to be fully fit by Milan doctor Massimo Manara.^[55]

On January 10, 2010, Milan defeated Juventus by a score of 3–0;^[56] Silva was rated as one of the best performers on the day,^[57] and La Gazzetta dello Sport compared the understanding of Silva and Nesta to the legendary duo of Franco Baresi and Alessandro Costacurta.^[58] On January 15, Silva's teammate Alexandre Pato claimed that Silva would become the best defender in the world.^[59] In a match against Udinese on February 12, Silva picked up a muscle injury. This left him in doubt for Milan's Champions Leaguematch against Manchester United.^[60] On March 6, Silva was selected as man of the match in a 0–0 draw with fellow Scudetto challengers Roma.^[61] At the end of the season, Silva was rated as the third-best central defender in the 2009–10 Serie A by La Gazzetta dello Sport.^[62]

2010–11 season[edit]

Silva's season began with a goal against Lecce in the first match of the season.^[63] In a 3–1 victory over Chievo Verona on October 16, Silva was forced to leave the match with a sprained left ankle. The injury forced Silva to miss a UEFA Champions League match against Real Madrid — Milan CEO Adriano Galliani jokingly said after the match that he would give Silva his healthy foot in order to see him play at the Santiago Bernabéu.^[64] Silva was inactive for four matches due to his injury. After returning from his injury, he was to play in the Derby della Madonnina against city rivals and treble winners Inter Milan. Matched against UEFA Club Footballer of the Year winner Diego Milito, Silva nullified his efforts and played a key role in Milan's 1–0 victory.^[65] In a 0–2 loss to Ajax in the Champions League, Silva suffered a right knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery.^[66][67]Initially feared to be a serious injury,^[68] it only kept Silva away for one month.^[69] At the midpoint of the season, Silva was regarded as the best defender in the Serie A,^[70] and the best in Europe.^[71]

"I think that Thiago Silva is the best defender in the world. It is incredible how good he really is. Thiago Silva is part of a new generation of phenomenal players who are perhaps born once every 100 years."

—Filippo Inzaghi, 2011^[72]

Forced to play as an emergency defensive midfielder due to an injury crisis, Silva played extraordinarily well against Cesena, a match which Milan won 2–0. Silva's performance brought comparisons to legendary Milan midfielder Marcel Desailly.^[73] In his next match, Silva was rated as the best player in Milan's 2–1 victory over Sampdoria in the Coppa Italia quarter-final.^[74] The midfield 'experiment' continued in a 0–0 draw against Lazio — this time Silva was compared to another legendary Milan midfielder, Frank Rijkaard.^[75] Silva was lauded by Italian media for his display against Napoli, marking out star striker Edinson Cavani. Milan won by a scoreline of 3–0.^[76][77][78] One publication claimed that Silva and Nesta "made a ghost" of Cavani,^[79]whereas another claimed that Cavani had a "nightmare".^[80]

In the match that sealed the Scudetto for Milan, Silva anchored the Rossoneri to a 3–0 victory in the Derby della Madonnina against longtime rivals Inter Milan.^[81] At the end of the season, Silva extended his contract to June 2016.^[82] Silva managed to complete the entire 2010–11 Serie A having earned only one yellow card, and having committed 26 fouls in 33 total matches.^[83] Silva's individual season was met with praise from all across Europe. In a fan vote, Silva was selected as Milan Player of the Season, with 66.6% of the vote.^[84] La Gazzetta dello Sport rated him as the Player of the Season.^[85] Silva was selected as Goal's Serie A Player of the Season.^[86] He was also voted as the best defender in the league by Italian media and his fellow professionals.^[87][88]

2011–12 season[edit]

Thiago Silva contesting a ball against Siena, on 17 December 2011

Milan's season began with a 2–1 victory over rivals Inter in the 2011 Supercoppa Italiana; Silva was the best defender in the match and was one of the best overall performers — he made a decisive last-man tackle on Samuel Eto'o to deny a clear chance in the first half.^[89] Milan began the 2011-12 Serie A in poor form, winning only two points in the first three matches; however, Silva was one of the better players in the draws against Lazio^[90] and Udinese.^[91] In a Champions League group-stage match against FC Barcelona, Silva and Nesta were crucial in the 2–2 result. Both defenders were regarded as two of the best performers by Italian and Catalan media.^[92][93] Silva scored the 90th minute equaliser — his former coach Carlo Ancelotti predicted that Silva would score that goal.^[94]

A knee contusion in a 3–0 victory over Palermo on October 15 kept Silva out for two matches.^[95] In Silva's 75th Serie A match for Milan on November 19, he was vital in maintaining a clean sheet against Fiorentina.^[96] The next week, Silva was named captain against Chievo Verona — becoming the first foreign captain in 50 years for Milan.^[97] In the 4–0 demolition at the San Siro, Silva scored his first goal as captain; teammate Zlatan Ibrahimović scored his 100th Serie A goal in the same match.^[98]On December 1, Silva was shortlisted for the FIFPro World XI.^[99] 1994 World Cup-winning coach Carlos Alberto regarded Silva as the best Brazilian footballer in Europe.^[100]

On January 9, Silva was compared to Milan's greatest player^[101] Franco Baresi by Gennaro Gattuso.^[102] On January 13, teammate Zlatan Ibrahimović claimed that Silva was the best defender he had ever played with.^[103] Silva was voted into the2011 UEFA Team of the Year on January 18.^[104] Silva was selected as Man of the Match in a 0–0 draw against Napoli in February.^[105] In Milan's 4–0 win over Arsenal in the Champions League Round of 16, Silva successfully marked out Robin van Persie, who was in a great run of form.^[106] Silva played his last full league match for Milan on March 17 against Parma, playing an important role in the 2–0 victory.^[107] Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidić said that Silva was the best defender in the world in an interview on March 22.^[108]

"It’s difficult to identify where he can still improve. He has already proven to have everything."

—Franco Baresi, 2012^[109]

On March 24, Silva was forced out of a match against Roma after 10 minutes due to a serious injury. AlthoughMilan originally claimed Silva would be out for four weeks,^[110] but instead he was injured for seven weeks. He missed the Champions League quarter-finals against Barcelona; Milan were beaten 1–3 on aggregate without him.^[111] Without Silva, Milan stuttered in the league and lost the Scudetto to rivals Juventus. It was argued that Silva's injury was the turning point in the title race — with Silva, Milan won 2.37 out of a possible 3 points per match; without Silva, Milan won 2.09 out of a possible 3 points per match.^[112] Silva's strong season finished in another nomination to the Serie A Team of the Year, being joint-best central defender alongside Juventus stalwart Andrea Barzagli.^[113] He was also regarded as one of the best defenders in Italy by multiple independent publications.^[114][115]

Paris Saint-Germain[edit]

The negotiations to bring Silva to Paris Saint-Germain took place at the end of the 2011–12 season. The saga took over a month to complete. On June 11, 2012, it was reported that Milan legend Paolo Maldini would convince Silva to join PSG in the summer.^[116] Major French newspaper L'Équipe claimed that a transfer would be completed by the 15th of June.^[117] The same day, PSG sporting director — and former Milan coach — Leonardo officially declared interest in acquiring Silva.^[118] The next day, Milan general director Ariedo Braida claimed that Silva was not for sale.^[119] On June 13, Maldini refuted claims that he would play a part in Silva's transfer, asserting the fact that he would never convince Silva to leave.^[120] Milan president Silvio Berlusconi mentioned a potential transfer on June 13, saying that Silva needed to be sold for €46 million in order to balance the accounts.^[121] However, the next day, Berlusconi confirmed that Silva would be staying at Milan.^[122] Transfer news slowed down, and on July 2, Milan extended Silva's contract to 2017.^[123] Twelve days later, Silva's transfer to PSG was confirmed.^[124] The transfer fee was rumoured to be around €42 million, which would have made Silva the most expensive defender in football history.^[125][126] Silva has repeatedly stressed the fact that he never pushed for a transfer, and that he was happy at Milan.^[127][128] Silva even mentioned that he would like to return to Milan later in his career.^[129]

2012–13 season[edit]

At his arrival, Silva was presented to the media as the "best defender in the world" by PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi.^[130] PSG coach Carlo Ancelotti admitted to French media that Silva came to the club injured, and would not be able to participate immediately in matches.^[131] 13 days later, Silva was declared fit to play, in time for a Champions Leaguegroup-stage match against Dynamo Kyiv.^[132] On his début, Silva scored the second goal in PSG's 4–1 victory.^[133] Silva played his first league match against Bastia, which PSGdominated by a scoreline of 4–0.^[134] On October 20, Silva was played as a central midfielder in PSG's 1–0 win over Reims; Silva was commended for his display by teammateSalvatore Sirigu.^[135] Silva scored his second goal for the club in Le Classique — the derby between PSG and Olympique Marseille.^[136] Silva was praised for his defensive display in the match.^[137] On December 16, Silva was praised for shackling Lyon forward Lisandro López in PSG's 1–0 win.^[138] For the 2012 football year, Silva was inducted into theUEFA Team of the Year for the second consecutive year.^[139]

In Silva's first match after the winter break, he was injured in PSG's 0–0 draw against Ajaccio; the MRI confirmed damage to his left bicep, and Silva's recovery time was listed at three weeks.^[140] It was found that Silva's injury was more serious than initially diagnosed,^[141] and as a result Silva was actually inactive for almost two months.^[142] Silva made his return in the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16 against Valencia. Silva was outstanding in this match, being lauded heavily in France for an "extraterrestrial effort" against the Spanish side.^{[143][144][145]} In PSG's 1–0 victory over reigning champions Montpellier, Silva was regarded as the man of the match with a flawless defensive display.^[146]Silva received the Ligue 1 Player of the Month award for March, with 71% of the vote, after several fantastic performances.^[147] This was followed by a unanimously-exalted performance against Barcelona, where Silva was described as "a wall" by French and Catalan media.^[148][149] Carlo Ancelotti claimed after the match that Silva was the best defender in the world, saying that Silva had all the ability to win the Ballon d'Or.^[150] PSG legend Ricardo Gomes claimed that Silva was one of Brazil's best-ever defenders, as well as saying that Silva was the best defender in the history of the club.^[151] In the return leg, Silva was again praised by Catalan media for a world-class performance.^[152]

"He is the Messi of defenders. The question is no longer if he is the best defender in the world, because he is quite simply one of the best players in the world — better than Cannavaro when he won the Ballon D'Or."

—Alain Roche, 2013^[153]

Silva continued his run of great performances in PSG's tight 1–0 victory against Troyes.^[154]Silva's season came to an end on May 5, when he received a straight red-card in a match against Valenciennes. He motioned to the referee, and put his hands on the referee's shoulder, which the referee deemed as a red-card offence. It was deemed to be a very harsh decision,^[155] with former referee Alain Sars claiming the expulsion was severe.^[156]sporting director Leonardo said that the expulsion was "unacceptable", and coach Carlo Ancelotti said that he did not understand the reason for the expulsion.^[157] Nevertheless, at the end of the season Silva was voted into the 2012–13 Ligue 1 Team of the Year for his level of play throughout the season.^[158] Silva was also shortlisted for the Ligue 1 Player of the Year award, alongside teammates Blaise Matuidi and Zlatan Ibrahimović.^[159]Over the course of the season, Silva committed an extremely-low 14 fouls, which was mentioned as an excellent total for a defender in Le Parisien.^[155] Silva was considered the best defender in Ligue 1 by France Football.^[160]

2013–14 season[edit]

Silva's season began with a 2–1 victory in the French Supercup against Bordeaux; Silva was voted as man of the match for his display.^[161] It was the first time PSG had won the trophy since 1998.^[162] On 22 August 2013, it was announced that Silva had signed a one-year extension to his contract with PSG, keeping him at the club until 2018.^[163] In the rematch at the Stade Chaban-Delmas, Silva put in another good performance as PSG won 2–0 over Bordeaux.^[164] Silva was forced off the field in the 16th minute againstMonaco due to a left hamstring injury which kept him out for six weeks.^[165] Coming back from his injury, Silva played extremely well against Nice, out-dueling the league's second top-scorer, Darío Cvitanich.^[166] Silva had an unusual run of scoring form, netting three times in seven matches. Silva scored in PSG's 4–0 victory over Lyon,^[167] 5–0 victory overSochaux,^[168] and 4–0 victory over Nantes.^[169] France Football rated Silva as the best central defender in Ligue 1 at the half-way point of the season.^[170] At the end of the 2013 football year, Silva was inducted into the 2013 UEFA Team of the Year for the third consecutive year.,^[171] making him joint-fifth in all-time appearances. Silva was also voted by his fellow professionals in the 2013 FIFPro Team of the Year for the first time in his career.^[172]

On January 15, 2014, Manchester United central defender Rio Ferdinand claimed that Silva was by a distance, the best defender in the world.^[173] Silva imperious in PSG's 2–0 win against Bordeaux at the Parc des Princes; Silva covered for the errors of teammate Gregory van der Wiel, and was close to scoring himself.^[174] This performance was followed by another strong performance against Monaco — despite scoring an unlucky own-goal, Silva made crucial interventions throughout the match, including a last-man block against Monaco forward Emmanuel Rivière.^[175] In PSG's comprehensive 4–0 win in the Champions League over Bayer Leverkusen, Silva was regarded by Le Parisien as having "dominated" Bundesliga top-scorer Stefan Kießling.^[176] Marseille defender Lucas Mendes said that Silva was the best defender in the world, and that Silva was his role model as a footballer.^[177] On February 16, Ronaldo, 3-time FIFA World Player of the Year, compared the qualities of Silva to legendary German sweeper Franz Beckenbauer.^[178] Silva managed another accomplished display in Le Classique, marshaling the PSG defence to a clean sheet, helping extend the lead to 8 points at the top of Ligue 1.^[179]

"Thiago Silva is without doubt the best central defender in the world. He has incredible qualities. He is a symbol of elegance like Franz Beckenbauer was. Silva follows in his footsteps."

—Ronaldo, 2014^[180]

In the Champions League quarter-finals against Chelsea, Silva conceded his first penalty in over three years, but recovered well in the 3–1 first leg victory^[181] — Silva's overall defensive effort was well-recognised by both English and French media.^[182][183] However, in the second-leg Chelsea prevailed on away goals after a late goal from substitute Demba Ba. On April 19, Silva captained PSG to a 2–1 victory in the 2014 Coupe de la Ligue Final, the first time the club had won the competition since 1998.^[184] Despite losing 1-2 to Rennes, PSGclinched the league title; Silva had captained the club to their second consecutive league title, and their first double.^[185] Silva again was shortlisted for Ligue 1 Player of the Year,^[186] and named in the Ligue 1 Team of the Year for the second consecutive season.^[187] Silva was rated byFrance Football as the fifth-best player, and best defender in Ligue 1.^[188]

2014–15 season[edit]

Silva's season began poorly in PSG's 2-2 draw with Reims; he was rated as one of PSG's worst players in his first match back from the World Cup.^[189] In his post-match interview, Silva mentioned how he was not fully fit and that he was finding it difficult to forget Brazil's embarrassing loss to Germany, where Brazil capitulated without him.^[190] Only three days after the match against Reims, Silva's rush to get back to full fitness was halted as he suffered a serious thigh injury in a friendly against Napoli on August 11. He only lasted 13 minutes before being carried off the pitch.^[191] After nine weeks, Silva was finally pronounced fit on October 16 by Laurent Blanc, who also said that Silva would be able to start the next league match against Bordeaux.^[192] In his return, he had an excellent display alongside fellow countryman David Luiz as PSG dominated Bordeaux by a score of 3–0.^[193] A third into the season, it was observed that Silva's performances were marked with inconsistency, especially throughout November and December. After PSG's 1–3 loss to Barcelona in December, he was criticised by former PSG player Pierre Ducrocq: he asserted that Silva did not have any physical or technical problems, but instead a mentality issue.^[194] Despite his struggles, Silva was recognised by his peers as being one of the two best central defenders in the world, as he was voted into the 2015 FIFPro World XI for the second consecutive year.^[195]

2015 began extremely well for Silva, with a man of the match display against Saint-Étienne in a 1–0 victory.^[196] It was followed by another man of the match performance, this time in a 1–0 win against Rennes.^[197] After the match, Rennes captain Sylvain Armand had nothing but praise for Silva, saying "he [Thiago] is a monster and a phenomenon".^[198]Four days later, Silva was voted as man of the match in PSG's 1-0 Coupe de la Ligue win against Lille.^[199] Silva's return to form was evident and it met praise from across the country — Pierre Ménès of L'Équipe offered his praise, and Alain Roche of Le Parisien stated that he was back to his best.^[200][201] After PSG's 1–1 draw with Chelsea in the first leg of the 2014-15 Champions League Round of 16, Silva was unanimously praised by the French press for his outstanding defensive showing as he marked out Chelsea's star striker Diego Costa.^{[202][203][204]} Three days later, he was voted man of the match as he scored his first goal of the season in a 3–1 victory over Toulouse.^[205]

"In Italy, we had a great tradition for defenders, but now we don’t have any more. I don’t know why. I believe that Thiago Silva is the best in the world right now."

—Paolo Maldini, 2015^[206]

L'Équipe recognised Silva's incredible performances in January and February with a detailed analysis of his performances — in 2015, Silva was winning 89% of his duels, best in Ligue 1; Silva had 2.9 interceptions, 3.4 tackles, and 7.6 clearances per match, best in Ligue 1; lastly, Silva had committed a remarkable 0 fouls in 630 minutes of play.^[207] In a 2–0 win against Monaco in the Coupe de France quarterfinal, Silva was praised for his dominance — one publication noted "if you thought Dimitar Berbatov [of Monaco] was silent and invisible throughout the match, it was only due to the work of the Monster".^[208] In the second leg of the 2014-15 Champions League Round of 16, Silva conceded a controversial penalty in the 96th minute. PSG were poised to be eliminated from the Champions League but in the 114th minute, Silva atoned for his error with a towering header to beat Thibaut Courtois to help PSG advance to the next stage. Silva was voted by several media sources as the best player in the match as he produced an extraordinary performance.^{[209][210][211]}

Silva and his teammates celebrate his winner against Chelsea.

PSG finally took pole position in the league after their 2–3 win over Marseille; Silva was dominant in his duels and played a crucial role in the victory.^[212] Three days later, he was voted man of the match in a 4–1 victory against Saint-Étienne in the Coupe de France semifinal.^[213] On April 11, Silva captained the club to a 4–0 win in the 2015 Coupe de la Ligue Final against Bastia.^[214] Four days later, Silva suffered an injury in the 20th minute of PSG`s quarterfinal against Barcelona.^[215] He was ruled out for two weeks as PSG were comprehensively beaten by an aggregate score of 1–5 against the Catalan side.^[216] Upon his return in a 3–1 win against Metz, Silva had a comfortable performance as PSG moved closer to the title.^[217] After an incredible 6–0 win againstGuingamp which edged the club closer to the first possible French domestic treble, Silva claimed that this PSG side was the best he had ever played in.^[218] One week later, PSG clinched the Ligue 1 title in a hard-fought 2–1 away win at Montpellier; Silva was voted man of the match and he was hailed for marking out Lucas Barrios.^[219] In the final match of the season, Silva was rated as the best player on the pitch in PSG's 3—2 win against Reims.^[220] In an interview with Jamie Carragher, former teammate Paolo Maldinicalled Silva the best defender in the world.^[221] For the third consecutive season, Silva was voted by his peers into the Ligue 1 Team of the Year.^[222] Silva was also selected in Opta's Ligue 1 Team of the Season based on statistical merit.^[223]

2015–16 season[edit]

After playing in the 2015 Copa América, Silva finally returned to club training on July 20 in New Jersey.^[224] The first pre-season match that Silva played in was the final match of the 2015 International Champions Cup against Manchester United — PSG won by a score of 2-0 to win the trophy; Silva was rated as the best player in the match.^[225][226] Two days later, Silva captained PSG to a 2-0 victory in the 2015 Trophée des Champions against Lyon.^[227] Silva had a good match with little to do defensively, as Lyon's star strikerAlexandre Lacazette played an insignificant role in the match.^[228][229]

PSG began their league campaign with a 1-0 victory against Lille, playing with 10-men for two-thirds of the match.^[230] Silva had a superb display, leading the defence to a hard-fought clean sheet. His performance was described as dominant, showcasing his intelligence and athleticism throughout the match.^[231]

International career[edit]

Thiago Silva playing for Brazil in a friendly against England, on 14 November 2009.

Thiago Silva in a friendly against Scotland, on 27 March 2011.

After a strong season with Fluminense, Silva was called up to the Brazil preliminary squad for the 2007 Copa América;^[232]however, he was not a part of the main team which won the tournament.^[233] Silva was then called up for a friendly againstAlgeria on August 15,^[234] but he was stayed on the bench as Brazil won 2-0.^[235] Silva was selected by Dunga to play in the2008 Summer Olympics; Silva would be one of two over-age players, alongside Ronaldinho. Silva won his first two caps forBrazil in pre-Olympic friendlies against Singapore and Vietnam; however, he suffered a right calf injury against Vietnamwhich kept him out of Brazil's first Olympics match.^[236] Silva was finally pronounced fit for the third group match, where Silva started and Brazil won 3-0 against China.^[237] He did not start any other matches, only coming on in the 71' against Belgium in the third-place match, sealing the bronze medal for Brazil.^[238]

Silva's next cap came in an international friendly against Portugal on November 20, 2008. Brazil won the match convincingly by a 6-2 scoreline,^[239] and Silva was praised for having 'dominated' the FIFA World Player of the Year, Cristiano Ronaldo.^[240] — Silva was praised by his teammates for his performance.^[241] Silva was not a starter during the 2010 FIFA World Cupcycle for Brazil despite his high level of performances for AC Milan.^[242] He was still playing in friendly matches, and in a November 2009 friendly against England, Silva put in a man of the match display in Doha.^[243]

Silva was an unused substitute in all matches at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where Brazil were defeated in the quarterfinal by the Netherlands.^[244] Silva was selected as captain by new Brazil coach Mano Menezes for the 2014 FIFA World Cupqualifying cycle, replacing Lúcio.^[245] Brazil disappointed at the 2011 Copa América, losing in a penalty shootout toParaguay; every Brazilian player — Fred, André Santos, Elano, Silva — failed to convert their penalties in shocking fashion.^[246] Silva scored his first goal for Brazil in an friendly match against the United States.^[247] International honours still eluded Silva at the 2012 Summer Olympics, as Mexicosurprised Brazil in the final to win 2-1.^[248]

Silva's first international trophy came at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, held in Brazil. As a warm-up tournament to the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the Brazilian side dominated all opposition, winning the tournament with an overall aggregate score of 14-3.^[249] Silva was outstanding throughout the tournament; he was rated as the tenth-best player at the end of the group stages,^[250] and by the end of the tournament, he was rated as the fifth-best player of the tournament by the Castrol Performance Index.^[251] Silva was also voted into the Confederations Cup Dream Team by FIFA.com users.^[252]

Silva scored his second goal for Brazil in a 3-1 friendly victory over Portugal on September 11, 2013.^[253] In a pre-World Cup friendly against Serbia, Silva assisted Fred's goal asBrazil ran out to a 1-0 victory.^[254]

2014 World Cup[edit]

With Silva playing for the first time at a World Cup, Brazil won 3-1 against Croatia in their first match at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.^[255] Silva was regarded as Brazil's best player in their second match, a 0-0 draw against Mexico,^{[256][257][258]} making several crucial interventions and getting involved offensively.^[259] In the final group match against Cameroon, Silva was again outstanding as Brazil won by a decisive 4-1 scoreline.^[260][261] At the end of the group stage, FIFA rated Silva as the third-best defender of the tournament, and the ninth-best player overall.^[262]

Thiago Silva in a Round of 16 match against Chile at the 2014 World Cup, on 28 June 2014.

In Brazil's victory over Chile in the quarterfinal, Silva assisted the opening goal scored by David Luiz.^[263] Chile equalised, and after no goals were scored in extra-time, the match went to a penalty shootout. Silva faced severe criticism for his behaviour, as he was pictured in tears before and during the shootout.^[264] 1970 World Cup winning captain Carlos Alberto asserted that Silva was a weak captain, andBrazilian legend Zico insisted that Silva should have volunteered to take a penalty, instead of refusing to take one.^[265] After the Round of 16, Silva was still regarded as one of the best defenders of the tournament by multiple media sources.^[266][267] Silva was able to silence his critics by scoring the opening goal in the quarterfinal against Colombia, and was seen as a top performer in the match;^[268] however, Silva picked up his second yellow card of the tournament for obstructing Colombia goalkeeper David Ospina, which ruled him out of the semifinal.^[269] Brazil tried to appeal his yellow card,^[270] but it was immediately rejected.^[271] Nevertheless, at the end of the quarterfinal stage, Silva was rated by FIFA as the second-best defender of the tournament, and the fourth-best player overall.^[272]

Silva's suspension brought apprehension to the team; José Mourinho even claimed that Silva was Brazil's most important player, praising the stability Silva offers to the defence.^[273] Silva was replaced by Bayern Munich defender Dante, who was deemed by Germany coachJoachim Löw as 'an excellent player'.^[274] Without Silva as captain, Brazil capitulated in the semifinal, losing by a record 1–7 scoreline to Germany.^[275] It was widely recognised that Silva's absence played a crucial part in the shock result.^{[276][277][278][279]} In the third-place match, Silva returned, but his presence could not salvage any honours for Brazil, as they were comprehensively beaten 3-0 by theNetherlands. At the conclusion of the tournament, Silva was rated by FIFA as the third-best central defender, and the eighth-best player overall.^[280] Silva was selected into the FIFA World Cup Dream Team voted by FIFA.com users,^[281] and the Castrol World Cup Top XIbased on statistical merit.^[282]

2015 Copa América[edit]

Brazil, under Dunga, went to the 2015 Copa América in Chile with Neymar as the captain. However, after his suspension for the remainder of the tournament in their second game, the armband did not go back to Silva, rather to his defensive partner Miranda. In Brazil's final group match against Venezuelaat the Estadio Monumental David Arellano in Santiago, Silva opened the scoring in the ninth minute, volleying in a corner from Robinho. The eventual 2–1 victory sent Brazil into the quarter-finals as group winners.^[283] In the 70th minute of the quarter-final, Silva's handball gave Paraguay the penalty kick from which they equalised for a 1–1 draw, and Brazil lost in a penalty shootout.^[284]

Style of play[edit]

Thiago Silva has been recognized as a complete defender by his peers and critics. He has been described as a consistent defender, without any flaws, and someone who can lead any defence.^[285] A leader from the back, Silva's play has led him to be compared to legendary Italian defender Franco Baresi.^[286] Baresi, regarded as one of the greatest defenders in football history,^[287][288] has gone on record to state that Thiago Silva is the defender who most resembles him,^[289] and said in June 2012 that Thiago Silva was his "heir"^[290] His leadership skills are also apparent through his success in captaining the Brazilian national team and Paris Saint Germain.

Silva is heralded as one of the fastest defenders in European football,^[291] and has been described as a strong defender with good aerial ability.^{[292][293][294]} He combines these physical gifts with a phenomenal tactical intelligence and knowledge of the game, as well as an excellent positional sense.^[295][296] Thanks to his abilities, he excels at reading and anticipating plays, and is excellent at closing down opposing players in possession of the ball.^[294][297] Hailed as the best of the new breed of defenders^[298] — composed in possession, able to create chances for his team from the back — Silva is a defender who is universally praised, being voted as one of the top two central defenders in Europe for three consecutive years.^[299]

Career statistics[edit]

Club[edit]

^[300][301]

As of 18 May 2015

Club	Season	League		Cup		Continental Competition1		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Juventude	2004	28	3	1	0	—	—	29	3
	Total	28	3	1	0	—	—	29	3
Porto	2004–05	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Total	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Dynamo Moscow	2005	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Total	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Fluminense	2006	31	0	8	0	4	0	43	0
	2007	30	5	12	3	—	—	42	8
	2008	20	1	—	—	12	2	32	3
	Total	81	6	20	3	16	2	117	11
Milan	2009–10	33	2	0	0	7	0	40	2
	2010–11	33	1	3	0	6	0	42	1
	2011–12	27	2	3	0	7	1	37	3
	Total	93	5	6	0	20	1	119	6
Paris Saint-Germain	2012–13	22	0	3	1	9	2	34	3
	2013–14	28	3	7	0	7	0	42	3
	2014–15	25	1	7	0	6	1	38	2
	Total	75	4	17	1	22	3	114	8
Career Total		277	18	44	4	55	6	379	28

¹ Continental competitions include the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Cup, Copa Libertadores and Recopa Sudamericana.

International[edit]

As of 4 July 2014^[301]

Brazil national team
Year	Apps	Goals
2008	3	0
2009	3	0
2010	6	0
2011	13	0
2012	7	1
2013	12	1
2014	7	1
Total	51	3

International goals[edit]

Scores and results list Brazil's goal tally first.^[301]

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	30 May 2012	FedEx Field, Landover, United States	United States	2–0	4–1	Friendly
2.	10 September 2013	Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Turkey	Portugal	1–1	3–1	Friendly
3.	4 July 2014	Estádio Castelão, Fortaleza, Brazil	Colombia	1–0	2–1	2014 FIFA World Cup
4.	21 June 2015	Estadio Monumental David Arellano, Santiago, Chile	Venezuela	1–0	2–1	2015 Copa América

Honours[edit]

Silva with the 2014 Coupe de la Ligue.

Club[edit]

Fluminense^[302]

• Copa do Brasil: 2007

Milan

• Serie A: 2010–11^[303]
• Supercoppa Italiana: 2011^[304]

Paris Saint-Germain^[302]

• Ligue 1 (3): 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15
• Coupe de France : 2014–15
• Coupe de la Ligue (2): 2013–14, 2014–15
• Trophée des Champions (2): 2013, 2014, 2015

International[edit]

Brazil

• Olympic Bronze Medal: 2008^[305]
• Olympic Silver Medal: 2012^[306]
• FIFA Confederations Cup: 2013^[307]

Individual[edit]

• Bola de Prata: 2007^[21]
• Brasileirão Fans' Player of the Year: 2008^[27]
• Brasileirão Team of the Year: 2008^[27]
• Premio Armando Picchi: 2011^[308]
• Samba d'Or: 2011,^[309] 2012,^[310] 2013^[311]
• Serie A Team of the Year: 2010–11,^[312] 2011–12^[313]
• Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2012–13,^[314] 2013–14,^[315] 2014–15^[316]
• Ligue 1 Player of the Month: March 2013^[317]
• UEFA Team of the Year: 2011,^[318] 2012,^[319] 2013^[320]
• FIFA/FIFPro World XI: 2013, 2014^[321]
• FIFA Ballon d'Or: 2013 (21st)^[322]
• FIFA Confederations Cup All-Star Team: 2013^[252]
• FIFA Confederations Cup Castrol Index Top XI: 2013^[323]
• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2014^[324]
• FIFA World Cup Dream Team: 2014^[325]