Thiago Silva: Serie A remains a big league

31-Jul-2012 1:45:00 PM

The defender has dismissed suggestions that the Italian top flight is becoming a second-rate competition, and has stressed that he did not want to leave Milan

Thiago Silva has insisted that Serie A remains an important competition, despite the departure of star players such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and himself.

The former AC Milan pair have moved to Paris Saint-Germain this summer, and will be joined in the French capital by ex-Napoli forward Ezequiel Lavezzi, but Thiago Silva is adamant that Italian football is still worthy of a place at the top table.

"Serie A is not a poor league all of a sudden. Italian football remains a very successful product, which has inspired people all over the world," Thiago Silva was quoted as saying by Gazzetta dello Sport.

The defender then admitted that Milan have indeed lost many key figures this summer, but he is confident that head coach Massimiliano Allegri can navigate the storm.

"It is true that Milan have lost some quality. They have also lost leading figures such as [Clarence] Seedorf, [Filippo] Inzaghi, and [Gennaro] Gattuso. Milan will have to rebuild the team. It will not be easy, but Allegri is an intelligent coach who will find solutions."

The 27-year-old also looked back at his summer transfer to PSG, and once more stressed that he did not want to leave San Siro.

"I had made it very clear that I wanted to stay until the end of my contract, but I knew that Milan had financial difficulties. It would therefore have been difficult to stay. I would still be at Milan if it weren't for their financial problems.

"I am not a mercenary. Milan was my home. They made a good deal, though. They signed me for €10 million and sold me for €42m."

Thiago Silva is currently playing at the Olympics with Brazil, who will meet New Zealand on Wednesday in their last game of the group stage.