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

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

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

“It’s something unimaginable, something I never thought could happen. My professionalism, my dedication to my profession, and the love for what I do allow me to enjoy these moments, and this one will be eternalized in my heart. It is the result of a lot of effort and sacrifice that enabled me to reach this significant milestone,” he began by saying.

In an emotionally charged statement, the defender also highlighted his mother’s role in his journey, emphasizing the symbolism of her not being present at this special moment. “It’s a thousand games, most of them at the highest level. The 1,000th match was another one of those, a Europa League game, a competition I had never played in before, at a very difficult time for me and a very particular moment for my family. My mother watched almost 999 games. For the 1,000th, she couldn’t be there, but even so, I felt great pride and satisfaction,” he said.

Recalling the beginning of his connection with the club, Thiago Silva evoked his first steps at Olival and the long journey to reach this round number. “Everything I experienced here… I started at that mini-stadium, where I played several matches, already ill, though I didn’t know it. This milestone is very important to me, for my mind. It’s a mix of feelings, because of my mother’s loss, and for this significant achievement in my career,” he shared.

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

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