Published 13:16 IST, February 10th 2021
Chelsea's Thiago Silva SLAMS former club PSG for lack of respect during summer transfer
Chelsea centre-back Thiago Silva has lifted the lid on his acrimonious PSG exit after the Ligue 1 club chose not to extend his deal beyond the 2019-20 season.
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Chelsea's summer signing Thiago Silva has revealed how he turned down a last-ditch approach to stay at PSG after being dismayed by the way the Ligue 1 giants handled his expiring contract. The 36-year-old claimed that PSG chief Leonardo Araujo called him up and informed him that he wasn't part of the club's plans moving forward beyond the 2019-20 season. Silva spent eight years at the Parc des Princes and admitted that he felt he deserved a better send-off than the one he received from the Parisians.
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Thiago Silva contract at PSG: Brazilian reveals how Ligue 1 giants handled his deal
While speaking to FourFourTwo, Chelsea star Thiago Silva lifted the lid on his acrimonious PSG exit. He said, "They (PSG) never offered me a single thing; not even, 'Thiago, do you accept €1 to stay with us?' Absolutely nothing, which was very upsetting because I spent eight years there". Silva also explained how PSG sporting director Leonardo called him up to inform him that the club wasn't prepared to offer the veteran centre-back a long-term deal despite conflicting reports he had snubbed a big-money extension to sign for Chelsea.
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However, Leonardo only asked if Silva would stay on until the end of the season to help with the Champions League run-in as the campaign was extended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Silva then expressed his disappointment over PSG not even bothering to give him a proper farewell. "There’s something worse than that, though. Even in the middle of a pandemic, they had three months to plan a farewell, but nothing was done. Man, I wasn’t there for only one season, or a few months — it was an eight-year spell as a captain who lifted a number of trophies at the club. I deserved much more respect than that," he continued.
Silva also highlighted the situation with his former PSG teammate Edinson Cavani, who joined Man United on a free transfer, but added that he was still grateful for his experiences in the French capital aside from his final few months at the club. "The same thing happened to [Edinson] Cavani. That said, I’m really grateful for the things I experienced there. The final bit aside, I was happy and always well treated by everyone," he said.
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Silva had several offers from top suitors across Europe after his impressive display in the Champions League final, which PSG lost 0-1 to Bayern. However, the Brazilian eventually joined Chelsea on a free transfer and has gone on to feature 21 times for the west London club across all competitions this season. The Blues are currently fifth in the Premier League standings and will face Barnsley in the 5th Round of the FA Cup on Thursday night.
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Image Credits - Thiago Silva Instagram
13:16 IST, February 10th 2021