Thiago Silva´s Milan story ´already done´ but Chelsea defender could return as coach

Thiago Silva says his story is “already done” at Milan but the Chelsea defender suggested he could return to his former club as a coach ahead of the pair’s Champions League clash.

The Premier League side and Serie A champions will meet at San Siro just under a week on from their reverse encounter at Stamford Bridge, where the Brazil international played his part in a 3-0 win for the Blues.

Silva previously spent three seasons between 2009 and 2012 with the Rossoneri, winning a Scudetto, before making the move to Paris Saint-Germain, where he cemented himself as one of European football’s best centre-backs.

Champions League glory since a switch to Chelsea has vindicated the veteran’s move away from PSG, and Silva has now revealed that a failed chance to return to Milan before heading to Stamford Bridge has closed the book on his time there.

“My passage [in Milan] is already done,” he stated. “My story is already written. The opportunity to come here came before [I joined] Chelsea, but it didn’t happen.”

With that said, Silva acknowledged he could return once hanging up his boots, adding: “I don’t think I can return to Milan [as a player]. [But] in the future, as a coach? Maybe.

“I am very happy, very excited to be back [in San Siro]. Everything I have been through with this great club, it comes to mind. [During the game] it will be even more so.”

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Having penned a one-year extension in January to take him through the end of the 2022-23 campaign, questions over Silva’s long-term future at Stamford Bridge are starting to rear their head again.

Boss Graham Potter, who has been effusive in his praise of Silva’s comradeship within the squad, says the choice to stay is in the defender’s hands, though the latter was hesitant to set a timetable on any commitment.

“It is probably not the right time to talk about contracts,” he added. “What I can tell you is, for me, it is important to continue playing at the highest level and help the team achieve the highest possible results.

“The time will come to talk, and it could be time before or after the [Qatar 2022] World Cup. I need to decide my contract for my family arrangements and it is not easy. We will see what will happen.”