THIAGO SILVA admits he has been spying on his beloved Chelsea to help wreck their dream of becoming world champions.
The legendary defender is now with Brazilians Fluminense, who face The Blues on Thursday evening in the semi-final.
There is £97 million for the tournament winner and veteran Silva will find it tough to play against the team with whom he won the Champions League and became a cult hero with the fans.
Silva, 40, said: “I’m trying to help the coaching staff with small details, things that will stay between us.
“I was in London not too long ago visiting my kids and went to some training sessions, you know.
“I know a lot of the players there, and I talk to them pretty much every week, some of them are really close to me.
“I’m happy to have this matchup, and it’s going to be a special day for me, but it will be even more special if we manage to go through.
“I’m just really grateful for everything I went through there. It was a very special team in my life, where I won one of the biggest titles of my career, and facing them now definitely won’t be easy.
“I know how strong they are, but at the same time, we’re going to try to play our game in the best way possible, respecting our opponent but fighting for our dream — the dream of our fans and the club.
“I don’t think even the most optimistic fan could’ve imagined we’d be here, in the semifinals of a Club World Cup.
“We’ve earned our place with hard work, and now we need to stay fully focused for tomorrow’s match so we can try to reach the next round.”
Silva was a free transfer from French giants Paris St.Germain and signed by former Chelsea boss Frank Lampard.
He was an inspirational character as part of the squad that was crowned kings of Europe by beating Manchester City 1-0 four years ago.
Silva is still going strong in his fifth decade and is an icon in his homeland with 113 caps for Brazil.
He said: “People always talk about the gap between Europe and South America. I was just saying recently how much respect they have for us.
“If you look at most European teams, they have top players from our continent, and that shows the respect they have for us — and it will be the same tomorrow.
“The expectations are huge. The nerves are there, the excitement is there, the anxiety too, going into a Club World Cup semifinal against them.
I was in London not too long ago visiting my kids and went to some training sessions
Thiago Silva
“At what you could call the final stage of my career, I’m still living important moments and trying to help in the best way I can.
“It would be special to eliminate Chelsea, even with all the love I have for them, but when you’re on the pitch, you have to focus on your own team.
“After the tournament, my support for Chelsea and PSG will always be there.
“I’m forever grateful to those clubs, I did everything I could while I was there, and I’ll keep doing the same for Fluminense.
“Hopefully, we can get this qualification.”
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