Silva flees Fiorentina for Boca Juniors
Reuters - Tuesday 17 January 2012, 18:50
Uruguayan striker
Santiago "Tank" Silva has ended an unsettled five months at
Italy's Fiorentina and returned to South America to play for
Argentine champions Boca Juniors.
The burly 31-year-old may not, however, be allowed to play
in the Argentine championship until next season having already
turned out for Velez Sarsfield in the current campaign.
Boca coach Julio Cesar Falcioni still wanted Silva, who
helped his Banfield team win the Argentine Apertura for their
first league title in 2009, to strengthen his squad for the
South American Libertadores Cup.
"If I have to go six months without playing the
championship, we'll wait," the shaven-headed Silva told
reporters at Ezeiza International Airport on his arrival in
Buenos Aires.
"I've no idea if I'll be able to play the [Clausura] championship. In principle it's going to be the
Libertadores."
Former Boca and Argentina striker Martin Palermo, who
retired in June, said recently that Silva was a perfect fit as
centre-forward in the team with whom he won a string of titles
including two Libertadores and one Intercontinental Cup.
"That Palermo, such an idol, should have said I'm the ideal
number nine for Boca is motivating," Silva said.
He said he had not settled at Fiorentina partly due to a
change of coach in November.
"I could have stayed to fight for [a place] but I preferred
Boca," said Silva, who won a Uruguayan league title with
Nacional in 2002 and the Argentine Clausura with Velez last
June. He has also played for clubs in Brazil, Portugal and
Germany.