There are those who maintain that the present does not exist, because it is exhausted in the instant it is: there is only the past, known, and the future, unknown. Therefore, we know that Thiago Silva, 41 years old, was an extraordinary player, a born leader, who shone at the highest level of world football, what we don't know is what he still has to give to FC Porto, between January and May 2026. But we won't miss out because of the delay, the New Year is just around the corner, and we'll soon see what the Villas-Boas/Farioli duo wants from the former Canarian international. Something short term has to be, obviously. And it may have as much to do with the team's balance as with the maturity to withstand moments of special pressure. There will be those who don't understand how it is possible to sign a 41-year-old player. I don't belong to that current. Championships are not won with teams with a future, but with those that constantly exhaust the present, based on maximizing available resources. If Thiago Silva is able to play two dozen games, totally or partially, during five months; and if the coach has a specific use in mind for the player, why not? Out of prejudice? Frankly, I've never seen a citizen card playing... But there will be something more to say about this acquisition of FC Porto. When those in charge invest in this type of fine tuning, a kind of filigree, designed for a specific function in a determined space of time, it is because they have an idea that they want to complement. Now, having an idea (of the game, in this case) is always an advantage, because for those who sail aimlessly, no wind is favorable. And the risks? They are tiny. Imagine that it goes wrong, either due to maladaptation or due to some physical incident. We are faced with half a dozen months' salary, without other costs or charges, nothing that would put too much strain on Porto's finances. And if it goes well, as Ruben Amorim once said, upon arrival in Alvalade? Does this mean that, as a rule, I am in favor of hiring veterans? No. But a team is itself and its circumstances and, from time to time, it may be advisable to bet on experience, without it being possible to make any of this a rule. It is case by case. Although younger, I remember the fuss made around the signings of Beto Acosta and Jonas, with many people tearing up their clothes because Sporting and Benfica were spending money on 'retired' players. After all, the 'killer' Acosta was essential in Inácio's Sporting, and Jonas went down in history as one of the best (and most useful) foreigners to wear the Eagle's jersey. A signing like Thiago Silva's is very easy to mistreat, which is why whoever is standing up for it shows that they have strong convictions, and a great lack of interest in what public and published opinion might think. Strong convictions are what weak leaders lack, who allow themselves to be governed from the outside in. In this case, without having the slightest idea of what the future holds for Thiago Silva at FC Porto (see Luuk de Jong), the only thing to do is appreciate the way in which the Brazilian veteran will use every blink of an eye in which he is... present.