Chelsea defender Thiago Silva gave due praise to former manager Frank Lampard after Saturday\u2019s Champions League triumph in Porto and said he hoped the Stamford Bridge legend was celebrating the success.<\/p>\n
The Blues had clung on tenaciously against a pugnacious Pep Guardiola selection and won Europe\u2019s elite club competition for only the second time since 2012 after an excellent performance against Premier League champions Manchester City that featured a solitary winning goal from record-signing Kai Havertz shortly before half-time.<\/p>\n
The epochal success is the culmination of a remarkable turnaround period at Chelsea in the second half of the 2020\/21 season after former PSG boss Thomas Tuchel replaced club icon Frank Lampard in January and turned an underperforming side into European champions in just 124 days while also securing a top-four Premier League finish and FA Cup Final appearance.<\/p>\n
The Blues\u2019 victory was particularly meaningful for Silva despite the injury that forced him off before the interval, with the veteran Brazilian, like Tuchel, having experienced the heartbreak of defeat against Bayern Munich in last year\u2019s showdown in Lisbon.<\/p>\n
With fond memories flooding back, the 36-year-old also hopes the man responsible for bringing him to Chelsea last summer on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain and also taking the club into the last 16 – is equally happy with Chelsea\u2019s Champions League triumph in Portugal.<\/p>\n
“Without Lampard, I would not be here,” Silva told French broadcaster RMC Sport. “I’m very happy, and I hope he will be too.”<\/p>\n
Silva describes the win as the defining moment of his long, illustrious career after years of shouldering the blame for PSG\u2019s high-profile failings in Europe.<\/p>\n
“This is the most important moment in my career. I’m truly very happy. We didn’t manage it with PSG but today I’m happy. I hope PSG do it too,” Silva added.<\/p>\n
“Each time PSG were knocked out, it was made out to be my fault. It’s a shame. I did everything I could for the team.”<\/p>\n
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