Football: Thiago Silva and Cavani leave, a page in the history of PSG turns

Text by: Nicolas Bamba Follow

Leonardo, the sporting director of PSG, confirmed to the Sunday Journal that Thiago Silva and Edinson Cavani will leave the club this summer. It is an important moment in the recent history of a club which will continue its journey without its captain and its top scorer, symbols of its national successes but also of its European failures.

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There was hardly any suspense left. The latest information in the press left no room for doubt. All that was missing was formalization. It fell on Saturday June 13, at the end of the day, a few hours before the newsstands release of the Sunday Journal edition of June 14: the story between PSG and players Thiago Silva and Edinson Cavani ends.

A " difficult decision " for Leonardo

In the columns of the weekly, Leonardo confirmed that his Brazilian compatriot and the Uruguayan, both at the end of the contract, will leave this summer. “  It was a very difficult decision to make. These are two players who have marked the history of the club: we always wonder whether we should continue a long way together or whether it is better to avoid the year too much. The stories were so beautiful. But yes, we are coming to the end,  "said the Rouge et Bleu sports director.

The leader refers to a "  logical decision  ", taking into account the economic situation - the PSG suffers, like almost all the clubs in the world, from the crisis provoked by the coronavirus pandemic - and the sporting context. Leonardo still hopes to find an agreement with Thiago Silva and Cavani to continue together until August, knowing that UEFA must specify within a few days in what form the Champions League 2019-2020 will resume and end in July -August.

In an interview with JDD, PSG sports director Leonardo confirms the departures of Cavani and Thiago Silva https://t.co/fPy98X68kd pic.twitter.com/lQvfwkIW2i

Thiago Silva, a fragile “ Monster ”

It was during the summer of 2012 that Thiago Silva put his luggage in the French capital, a year after the acquisition of the club by Qatar Sports Investments. In 2011, the Parisian club had signed an attractive transfer window but not strong enough to rule. In June, July and August 2012, he therefore puts the package by attracting in particular Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Ezequiel Lavezzi, Marco Verratti and therefore Thiago Silva, bought from AC Milan for 49 million euros with bonus. The Brazilian was then presented by Paris with the label of "best defender in the world".

Very quickly, the one we nicknamed "  O Monstro  " ("The Monster") justifies the investment made. He shines, takes the captain's armband in a few months and helps to establish the domination of PSG in France. In 2014, however, the story begins to stammer when the captain of the Brazilian team loses ground during the World Cup at home. Subjected to enormous pressure for this unbreakable World Cup in the Auriverde country, he cracks nervously, bursts into tears during the shots on goal in the round of 16 against Chile and attends from the stands (due to suspension) the historic debacle of the Seleçao in the semi-final against Germany (7-1). This failure will mark him hard.

From then on, Thiago Silva was given a reputation as a brilliant defender but a player often absent during major events. The repeated failures of PSG in the Champions League will be criticized several times, in particular the terrible disillusionment against FC Barcelona in March 2017 (6-1 defeat and elimination in the round of 16 after a 4-0 first leg victory). His trainer at the time, Unai Emery, publicly criticized him for defying his instructions. Imperial in Ligue 1, too brittle and helpless leader of men in C1, the former Milanese was like his club. While he will celebrate his 36th birthday next September, here he is on the start. To succeed it, Paris is betting on a Marquinhos-Presnel Kimpembe hinge, with Abdou Diallo and Thilo Kehrer as reinforcements.

Cavani, the " Matador " adored at the end of the race

Edinson Cavani, he arrived at PSG in the summer of 2013, after six successful years in Italy on the side of Palermo and Naples. In Serie A, the striker has acquired the nickname "Matador". To snatch it from Napoli, the Paris club had to sign a check for 64 million euros, the sixth highest transfer in the history of football at the time. With the Uruguayan as reinforcement, Paris believes it is holding a dream attack line with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Lucas Moura, Ezequiel Lavezzi, Javier Pastore ...

History will however be thwarted for a long time. Ibrahimovic taking up a lot of space at the tip, Cavani was sent to the left wing for three seasons. His generosity in the effort is undeniable but his scoring talents are restrained. It marks, certainly, but not as much as in Naples, and its missed opportunities raise doubts and critics. The departure of Ibrahimovic in 2016 sounds like a liberation: finally established at the forefront, the "Matador" puts on goals and becomes the darling of the public. A great success, knowing that the supporters were not always tender with him. Finally adopted, Edinson Cavani will therefore enjoy a love rating at the top.

In 2017, Paris recruits Neymar and Kylian Mbappé. The trident works but steps on its feet somewhat. The connection between the Uruguayan on the one hand and the Brazilian and the French on the other hand sometimes confuses. From 2018, physical injuries hamper Edinson Cavani, who still manages to become the top scorer in the history of PSG. In January 2020, he was very close to leaving for Atlético de Madrid, but no agreement was reached. Cavani remains finally and manages, at the age of 33 and before the end of competitions in March, to reach the bar of 200 goals in the jersey of PSG. The capital's club is already holding its successor: the Argentinian Mauro Icardi, on loan from Inter Milan in September 2019 and definitively transferred at the end of May 2020.

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