Thiago Silva has left a blunt farewell message for his soon-to-be former Chelsea teammates as he prepares for his final match at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
However, Silva’s farewell comes amid a less-than-ideal final season in west London. With Chelsea missing out on European competition for the first time since 2016-17 and failing to secure any silverware, it hasn’t been the triumphant exit he might have hoped for.
Chelsea eye fifth place finish
As Mauricio Pochettino’s players aim to finish the 2023–24 season strongly and secure fifth place in the Premier League table, Thiago Silva believes that the team has failed to meet the club’s expectations. In his final interview, the 39-year-old didn’t mince words as he offered succinct advice to the team he’s departing.
Thiago Silva’s message to teammates
”Thiago knows what it means to wear a Chelsea shirt, you know,’ Silva told Sky Sports. ‘And if I have a message to send to the boys that are here today, I hope they understand that everything they did to get to Chelsea has to be worth it.
”Because the season we’re having is not worthy of Chelsea. It’s not.
”And I think they have to do more next year, they need to do more.
”If you look at the games, the fans never left the team, never. We were in ninth place, eighth, right? And the fans were always there.
”They booed us off a little at the end of the match, but they’re always there in the stands, always with 40,000, 45,000.
”If we were somewhere else, they could throw rocks at us – we know that happens in our country,’ Silva added to his Portuguese-speaking interview, likely referencing Brazil.
”So these boys need to be aware that Chelsea has to fight for the top positions.
”If we take a little of our ego and put it in favour of the team, I think it will work. If we don’t do that, the situation will hardly change unfortunately,” Thiago Silva said, as per The Daily Mail.
"I know what it means to wear the Chelsea shirt" 💙
Thiago Silva reflects on his football journey and his time at Chelsea ✨ pic.twitter.com/gex2CE2W2r
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 18, 2024
Chelsea’s resurgence as season nears end
Chelsea have endured a challenging season, spending much of it in the middle of the table. However, as the campaign nears its end, they are experiencing a resurgence and are currently on a four-match unbeaten run in the Premier League. They will host Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
