Chelsea star Thiago Silva reveals wife Belle travelled to Russia in 2005 to end their relationship - but couple are still together 18 years later!

The Chelsea defender has been with his wife - social media influencer Isabelle da Silva - since 2004, but has revealed they nearly broke up just one year into their relationship. Silva was playing for Dynamo Moscow in 2005 when he contracted Tuberculosis. Belle flew to Russia to be with him, but she had intended to break up with him.

Silva told SportBuzz: "She went there [to Russia], she was underage and left everything in Brazil to go.A curious fact that few people know is that she had gone there to end our relationship and things ended up changing.Of course, at that moment, I didn't know what was going to happen, I found out years later, but I was happy to see her there at that very difficult time in my life.That moment there strengthened us as a couple."

Belle added: "I mention Russia, which is where we started our life together, far from our country and family.We were very young and faced many challenges together.At that time I never imagined he would be the giant athlete he is today, but we stayed together, won several battles and here we are.This period certainly shaped the partnership we have today."

After spells with Fluminense, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain, Silva joined Chelsea in 2020. His wife and two sons live with him in London, but at 39 he is now approaching the end of his playing career.

Silva's contract will expire at the end of the season, a few months before he turns 40. He is very much a key figure at Chelsea having started 17 of their 19 Premier League matches this season, so don't rule out him staying into his 40s.