Thiago Silva, former Chelsea FC player, announced his return home during his extraordinary presentation as the new addition to Fluminense, the 2023 Copa Libertadores champions.

"You don't know how special it is for me to come back home... I knew it was going to happen," said the 39-year-old player in a packed Maracanã, filled with supporters singing the club anthem and waving flags in the club's colors during a ceremony that lasted nearly three hours.

The defender, returning to the team where he developed as a player since childhood, emotionally stated that his return was a "demonstration of affection for the institution, the fans, and football."

Silva joins Fluminense, having signed until June 2026, at a low point for the team, which currently occupies the fifteenth position in the league and has advanced to the next phase of the Copa Libertadores.

Waiting for him at the club is Marcelo, another veteran with whom he shared the pitch at Fluminense years ago and also in the national team.

Silva made his move to European football in 2009 with AC Milan, before being signed by Paris Saint-Germain in one of the most expensive transfers for a defender in history.

After eight years with the French team, winning numerous domestic tournaments, he joined Chelsea in 2020, where he spent the last four seasons.

With the Brazilian national team, he won a bronze medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, silver at the London 2012 Olympics, as well as the Confederations Cup in 2013 and the Copa América in 2019.