SUMMARY
- The Brazilian defender talked about his fight with Tuberculosis in the new Netflix documentary.
- Russian doctors diagnosed Silva with tuberculosis during the pre-season, which forced the center back to spend major spells in hospital.
Thiago Silva has been a constant rock in defense for clubs around Europe for almost two decades. The performances of the Brazilian defender on the pitch have been well documented, but his career-defining battle came early in his career when the center-back fought against tuberculosis.
The Brazilian defender talked about his fight with tuberculosis in the new Netflix documentary titled ‘Captains of the World’. The docuseries offered exclusive interviews with the captains of all 32 teams in the FIFA World Cup. In the first episode of the series, the Chelsea defender looked back at the most difficult time in his career when he was playing in Russia.
Thiago Silva moved to Russian side Dinamo Moscow from FC Porto back in 2005. Once he moved to Moscow, Silva started feeling chest pain. Thiago talked about his struggles in the documentary: “I trained with a really painful chest. I didn’t know what was going on. I was almost dying, man. If we had waited any longer for the diagnosis, there would be no cure”.
20-year-old Thiago Silva moved to FC Porto in 2004.
After playing 14 games for Porto B he was loaned to Dynamo Moscow where he was diagnosed with tuberculosis.
He spent 6 months at the hospital and decided to retire from football but was persuaded to reconsider by his mother. pic.twitter.com/MLnn5gc7kM
— Football Talent Scout – Jacek Kulig (@FTalentScout) May 3, 2021
Russian doctors diagnosed Silva with tuberculosis during the pre-season, which forced the center back to spend major spells in hospital. The Brazilian talked more about his horrid time in Russia: “I spent six months in the hospital, you know? I was alone, it’s awful being away from home when your family is in Brazil. Going through tuberculosis left me with scars that will never heal.”
Silva dodged surgery as part of the treatment for tuberculosis. The surgery would have forced the center back to quit the game. However, the Brazilian player fought through and healed without surgery. The nightmare for Silva ended in 2006 when he returned to Brazil with Fluminense.
Thiago Silva revived his career back in Brazil after Russia
The move to Fluminense proved a gift for Thiago Silva, as he regained fitness in Brazil away from the cold in Russia. After moving to Fluminense in 2007, Silva made 97 appearances in two years with the club, which earned him a big move back to Europe with AC Milan. Thiago’s performances with Fluminense also earned him the first call-up to the national side in 2008, where he made his debut under Dunga at the age of 24.
Another three impressive years at AC Milan earned him a second big-money move to PSG. Silva spent eight years at PSG, made 315 appearances, and won 25 trophies, including seven Ligue 1 titles, to etch his name in the history books of the French club.
Some people will never realize how much impact Thiago Silva has on these youngsters
pic.twitter.com/WFyO7ZvxzG— 🌊 (@Vintage_Cfc) December 28, 2023
The center-back has moved on from PSG in 2020 with a move to the Premier League with Chelsea. Silva is still going strong at the age of 39, with 18 appearances in the Premier League this season for the London side. The Brazilian captain’s fitness has been remarkable, which has enabled him to compete at the highest level in the Premier League.
After fighting tuberculosis so early in his career, everything else seems like a cakewalk for the center back. The story of Thiago Silva will go down as an inspiration for the younger generation in Brazil.