Thiago Silva has signed for Porto after ending his contract with Fluminense. The 41-year-old Brazilian returns to the club he represented in the 2004/05 season when he appeared for Porto’s B team.
The durable central defender has represented AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea. He won the 2010-11 Serie A title, seven Ligue 1 titles and the UEFA Champions League.
Silva made his debut for Brazil in 2008, became the captain of the Seleção and earned 113 caps. Appearing in eight major tournaments, he was a member of the team that won the 2019 Copa América.
The veteran left a message for Porto supporters, saying: “Hello Porto fans, I’m here to announce my return to the Dragons. You can’t imagine how happy and flattered I am with this opportunity. I’m super motivated, and I hope I can help in the best way possible.
“I would like to thank our president, André Villas-Boas, for the opportunity, and our manager, Francesco Farioli, as well, and say how eager I am to wear these colors once again. I count on your support and I hope to see you at the Dragão stadium.”
Silva will strenghten a defence that is missing Nehuen Perez for the season and will be without Zaidu Sanusi who is on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Estoril came into Friday’s night’s encounter against Braga on the back of a 4-0 thrashing at Famalicão last weekend, which was the latest disappointment in a run of three defeats and one draw in their last four matches.
Braga, on the other hand, kicked off the game having won their last four matches in all competitions in an unbeaten run stretching back to seven games in total.
As all football fans know, one of the enduring attractions of the beautiful game is its unpredictability, and sure enough, all logic went out of the window as Estoril pulled off a 1-0 victory.
Estoril are one of the most entertaining teams to watch in Portugal, with goals normally guaranteed at both ends of the pitch. And Ian Cathro’s side were protagonists in another excellent spectacle, with the teams mirroring each other by each having 14 efforts on goal, of which 7 were on target.
The result may have been a surprise, but the bigger surprise was that only one goal was scored.
Former Braga youth striker André Laximicante scored the all-important goal shortly before half time.
Estoril round off their 2025 schedule with another home clash, against Alverca on 27 December, while Braga have two important engagements before the New Year, away at Caldas in the Portuguese Cup before hosting Benfica next weekend.
Midfielders Serginho and João Simões in action in the Azores tonight with Santa Clara manager Vasco Matos looking on
Portuguese Cup: Sporting scrape through; Porto thrash Famalicão to set up Benfica clash
Wind, rain, ten goals and a huge dose of controversy were packed into two more round-of-sixteen Portuguese Cup ties tonight.
Sporting benefited from a controversial stoppage time penalty to beat Santa Clara 3-2 in the Azores after extra time, while Porto smashed Famalicão 4-1 at the Estádio do Dragão.
Santa Clara 2-3 Sporting (after extra time)
When the two teams met in a Liga Portugal clash in early November it sparked a huge debate and complaints from Santa Clara and Sporting’s title rivals as the Lions won 2-1 after scoring from a late corner erroneously awarded by the referee.
At the same São Miguel venue this game is again guaranteed to cause a media storm after more drama and controversy.
The current Cup holders went ahead early on when João Simões finished a flowing move by swivelling and volleying into the corner of the net. Soon afterwards Santa Clara hit back with Lucas Soares skipping past Mateus Reis and firing in a powerful shot from 25 yards out. Two excellent goals and all square at half time.
That’s how it stayed until the 85th minute in a tightly fought encounter which seemed to be heading towards extra time as the rain began to lash down on the Atlantic Island. But Santa Clara were rewarded for their proactive approach as star player Gabriel Silva turned Gonçalo Inácio brilliantly and fired into the net from outside the box, with the aid of a big deflection off Eduardo Quaresma that left goalkeeper João Virgínia stranded. The hosts were 2-1 up and seemingly on their way to the quarter-finals.
Twelve minutes to make the decision
A leggy-looking Sporting were out of ideas, but when a cross was swung into the box and captain Morten Hjulmand fell to the ground VAR instructed the referee to hold on while the footage was studied. An incomprehensibly long wait ensued, with the officials eventually deciding to send the referee to the monitor who also took his time before pointing to the spot – fully 12 minutes after the incident had taken place.
The Santa Clara delegation in the dugout were evidently incensed, with the referee issuing two red cards amidst vehement protests from the coaching team and substitutes. The islanders had already had Paulo Victor sent off shortly before the 90 minutes were up.
Sporting striker Luis Suárez stayed cool amid the mayhem and calmly slotted the penalty into the net to make the score 2-2 and send the tie into extra time.
With an extra player and the huge psychological boost of having “come back from the dead”, it was little surprise when Sporting took the lead, Fotis Ioannidis heading in.
To their credit Santa Clara never threw in the towel, the outstanding Serginho (pictured above) causing Sporting headaches all night. But Sporting held on and will host AFS in the last eight for a place in the semi-finals.
Vasco Matos: “Today is a black day for Portuguese football”
Santa Clara coach Vasco Matos was commendably composed in his post-match interview but was incisive in his criticism of the officials.
“What did I think of the penalty? The same as everyone else who saw it. All the fans, all the journalists have the same opinion. Today is a black day for Portuguese football. I’m worried and a lot of people are worried about what’s happened. I’m speechless when I try to describe what happened on the pitch. It’s enough to make us to stop believing in football.”
Santa Clara 3-2 Sporting highlights
Porto sweep past Famalicão
In tonight’s other match, Porto overcame high-flying Famalicão at home to set up a mouth-watering quarter-final against Benfica, also at the Dragão, in January.
William Gomes took advantage of a defensive blunder to give the hosts the lead early doors, but Famalicão soon hit back with Justin de Haas powerfully heading in the equaliser from a corner.
Shortly before the break Porto retook the lead through Victor Froholdt, and late goals by Samu (6 goals in his last 4 matches) and Pepê saw the Blue & Whites run out comfortable winners.
The first matches of the round of 16 of the Portuguese Cup played yesterday threw up a couple of surprise results.
Second-tier Torreense knocked out top-flight outfit Casa Pia 2-1 to set up a quarter-final with União de Leiria, thus guaranteeing a Liga II team in the semi-finals of this season’s Taça de Portugal. Goals from Dany Jean and João Costinha put the side from Torres Vedras two-goals up, before a late penalty by Jérémy Livolant gave Casa Pia hope but it proved just a consolation.
Arguably an even bigger shock occurred at the Estádio Dom Afonso Henriques where AFS, rock bottom of the Liga Portugal with just three points from 14 games and coming off a 6-0 thrashing by Sporting at the weekend, took on in-form Vitória. However, a first-half strike by Tunde was the only goal of the game and it is AFS who progress to the last eight.
Benfica continued their excellent form and had little trouble seeing off Farense in the Algarve. A goal in each half by Richard Ríos and Franjo Ivanovic gave the Eagles a 2-0 victory, for whom Otamendi missed a first-half penalty.
“I’m really pleased with the team’s attitude. They took the job seriously from start to finish,” said Benfica coach José Mourinho post-match, who has guided his side to 6 wins and 1 draw in their last 7 matches in all competitions.
Samu and Borja Sainz celebrate Porto’s opening goal against Estrela at the Estádio do Dragão
Liga Portugal leaders Porto beat Estrela da Amadora 3-1 at the Estádio do Dragão tonight to restore their five-point buffer at the top of the table.
With Sporting and Benfica both winning big at the weekend, Porto were under pressure to get the three points and keep their title rivals at arm’s length.
It went to script in the first half with a dominant home side taking the lead when Samu converted a penalty after Alberto Costa was fouled in the box.
Out of the blue, Estrela equalised on the hour mark with a fine goal. Sidny Cabral worked room to swing over a peach of a cross and former Porto player Abraham Marcus soared high in the air to power a header into the corner of the net.
Porto were quick to react, retaking the lead just three minutes later. A corner led to a frantic goalmouth scramble, with Francisco Moura turning and thumping the ball into the net from close range.
In the 73rd minute Porto made it 3-1. It was another scrappy goal but the hosts won’t care about that. Both Alberto Costa and Samu initially appeared to claim it, but TV replays showed it was in fact an own goal by Sidny Cabral.
Porto’s sixth successive win in the league keeps them sitting pretty at the top of the pile, improving their remarkable record of 13 wins and one draw in 14 Liga Portugal matches this season.
Thiago Silva has signed for Porto after ending his contract with Fluminense. The 41-year-old Brazilian returns to the club he represented in the 2004/05 season when he appeared for Porto’s B team.
