Thiago Silva has a closer relationship with Porto than most and here he explains why, before looking ahead to his second consecutive Champions League final appearance…
Whatever happens tomorrow night, the city of Porto will always hold a special place in Thiago Silva’s heart. It was there he took the first, tentative steps on his road to recovery following an illness that not only threatened to end his career, but his life.
The complications began during his debut season playing for Porto B, in 2004/05, as he struggled to keep up with the pace of the game having moved from Brazil. Sharp chest pains came and went. He joined Dynamo Moscow on loan in search of playing time at a higher level, but the condition only worsened during a pre-season tour of, ironically, Portugal.
The 20-year-old Thiago was diagnosed with tuberculosis, six long months after contracting it. An undignified illness, tuberculosis causes intense flu-like symptoms. The late diagnosis didn’t help Thiago Silva’s cause, but it came in time to save his life.
