New Chelsea signing Thiago Silva has criticised former club Paris Saint-Germain for how they handled his departure said he is “annoyed” by how he was treated, especially by the club’s sporting director Leonardo.
Silva joined Chelsea on a free transfer in August after the French club decided not to renew their former captain’s contract.
“I was not angry but it is a situation that annoyed me. The way it was done didn’t please me at all. Even if it was during the confinement, things should have been done differently,” he told France Football.
“Leonardo called me to ask if I wanted to keep going for two months for the Champions League, I said yes. Then he said that the club would not go over these two months. It pissed me off because of what I did for this club during eight years. It should have been done differently.
“You don’t act like this with someone who spent so much time at a club. At the start, I was angry.”
The 36-year-old also criticised how Lionel Messi and Edinson Cavani had treated their clubs in seeking a move away.
“During all my career in Paris, I gave my best. I never cheated. Leo [Messi] did it in a clumsy and rushed way. And the same with [Edinson] Cavani,” he added.
Silva had hoped the Ligue 1 side would extend his contract by a year but that offer only came after PSG’s 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League final and when he had already agreed to join Chelsea.
“After the final, he [Leonardo] offered me a new one-year deal, like three Champions League games had changed everything. But it was too late. I already said yes to Chelsea. I don’t have hatred or anger towards Leonardo or PSG. I am grateful and I want to thank the president Nasser Al Khelaifi for this beautiful adventure,” he said.
Despite the way he left PSG, the former AC Milan defender said he was happy to be at Chelsea.
“This season, the team will be even more competitive after the recruitment they made. I really hope we will be successful. The objective is do better than last season and win trophies,” he added.
“It is a young squad. I am here to give the direction to follow and I am very happy to have this role. I got close to Jorginho and Emerson as well as the French guys and [Cesar] Azpilicueta who also helps me a lot. It is important to integrate.”