Thiago, you turned 40 on Sunday, but it's not yet time to retire!
"I don't know how much longer I'll be playing... I'm just happy to be back home. I left Fluminense for Europe 15 years ago, so coming back here is magical, especially at a time when the club really needs it. I'm here to help. Even though I'm almost 40, I'm still as happy as ever when I'm on the pitch. When that's no longer the case, when I'm no longer happy to be here, then the time will have come to call an end to my career. But not right now!"
Fifteen years in Europe, including eight with Paris Saint-Germain... That's bound to leave its mark!
"I achieved a lot in this shirt. Paris Saint-Germain is very special for me and for my family. I strove to give everything for the club. It's a club that will stay in my heart for the rest of my life. It's a club that has marked me not only as a professional player but also as a man, as a father. My time in Paris changed me completely, and my family too."
Do you remember arriving at the club in 2012?
"Yes, it wasn't easy arriving in a new country, getting used to a completely different culture, but the club, the people at the club, the President, helped me to feel at ease. The President in particular has done a lot for me. And Carlo Ancelotti too. I remember the first time I went to the training centre, I arrived on the pitch and he came to welcome me and said, 'We're going to do great things here'. And he immediately told me about Verratti. He said to me, 'This lad is a phenomenon and I think he's going to help you a lot, especially when you're playing out of defence'. That was the first thing he said to me."
You weren't the only one to join Paris Saint-Germain that summer. Zlatan Ibrahimovic also signed for the club...
"I was at the Olympic Games in London and he called me up. 'Thiago, is it true that you're going to sign for Paris-Saint-Germain?'. I replied, 'Yes, I've just signed. I've just had the tests with the doctor at the hotel. After the Olympics, I'm going to Paris. But why are you asking me this?'. And he said, 'Because I'm going to Paris too!'. And so, after Milan, we found ourselves together again, in Paris. It was wonderful to play with him for Paris Saint-Germain."
Eight seasons, 315 matches, 23 titles... Your adventure with Paris Saint-Germain was a rich one, but does one particular moment stand out in your mind?
"That's tough to say, there were a lot of important moments. My first match at the Parc was obviously special. It was a Champions League match against Dynamo Kiev. First game and first goal... It was unique! There was also the first league title after almost 20 years of waiting, with players who had been there for some time, Papus (Zoumana Camara), Sakho, Jallet, Bodmer, Hoarau... All very important players in the club's history, because they were the ones who prepared the club before we arrived. And then, of course, there's my goal in extra time against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in 2015, which helped us qualify for the Champions League quarter-finals."
Your adventure ended with a Champions League final defeat played behind closed doors. Do you regret that?
"I gave my all for the club and in the end, we played in a final but didn't win. Unfortunately, COVID didn't allow me to say goodbye to the fans as I would have liked. But I remember that before we left for the Final Four in Lisbon we played a friendly match at the Parc des Princes (against Celtic FC). The capacity of the stadium was reduced by 90% but the fans still did something for me. It meant a lot to me because I had given everything for the club, so to receive that tribute from the fans before I left was very important to me."
What is your relationship with the club today? Are you still a Paris Saint-Germain fan?
"Of course, I watch all the matches whenever I get the chance! And it's strange, because every time I watch Paris Saint-Germain, I feel like I'm still at the club. I think it's because I've come to identify with Paris and it's part of me. It was the most important period of my life as a professional player and as a father. It was magnificent. What more can I say? I simply wish the club, the fans and the city all the best. Paris Saint-Germain is magical and magnificent!"
