Brazilian defender Thiago Silva to leave Chelsea at season's end
April 29 (UPI) -- Brazilian defender Thiago Silva will end his four-year tenure at Chelsea at the end of this season, the Premier League soccer franchise announced Monday.
"I think in everything I did here over the four years, I always gave my all," Silva told ChelseaFC.com. "But, unfortunately, everything has a start, a middle and an end. That doesn't mean that this is a definitive end. I hope to leave the door open so that in the near future I can return, albeit in another role here.
"But it's an indescribable love. I can only say thank you."
Silva said he came to Chelsea in 2020 with the intention of only staying for one season. He also said that he hopes his two sons, who participate in Chelsea's youth program, will remain with the Blues.
"Obviously, when I started here, it was during the pandemic so there wasn't any fans in the stadium," Silva said. "But through social media, it became something very special to me and then when the fans started coming back to the stadium and life was getting back to normal, I started to feel a lot of affection and respect for my story and for my start here.
"It is already hard saying goodbye in the most normal of circumstances, but when there is a mutual love, it's even harder. But once a Blue, always a Blue."
Silva, 39, made 151 appearances for the Blues. He won titles in the Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup during that tenure. He scored eight goals in 109 Premier League appearances.
The Blues (13-11-9) sit in ninth place in the Premier League standings. They will host Tottenham at 2:30 p.m. EDT May 2 at Stamford Bridge in London.
