Thiago Silva says he doesn’t want to leave Paris Saint-Germain, but he has now accepted the inevitable.
The Brazilian centre-back made more than 300 appearances in eight years at the Ligue 1 champions but will leave once the season is completed.
PSG still have the Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue finals still to play, as well as the remainder of the Champions League, and club captain Silva is keen to ensure talk about his future doesn’t overshadow the team.
“It's a special moment for me,” Silva told a press conference. “With the supporters, we have always had a lot of respect. They asked if I could stay, but it's not my decision. Now is not the time to talk about this topic.
“We will have time to talk about it later. I didn't want to leave, but the decision has already been made. I respect [the decision] and will respect it until the end.
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“There are no further discussions [about my future]. Leonardo (the PSG sporting director) has already spoken to the press. I don't want you to talk about this just yet. I understand the topic, your urge to know what's going on, but now is not the time to talk about it.”
PSG manager Thomas Tuchel was also asked about the future of the veteran defender in his press conference and had a similar response.
“I can understand that you want to talk about this, but now is not the time,” Tuchel said. “He's my captain, he's super reliable. I have said this many times.
“It is important that he is here for the finals, and for Lisbon in the Champions League. Then we talk about all this.”
PSG’s hunt for a quadruple starts on Friday, with the Coupe de France final against Saint-Etienne.
"The best way to arrive in Portugal would be to do it with two extra trophies,” Tuchel added. “That starts on Friday. All the preparation has been done so as to be ready mentally and physically for this game.
“I don't want to talk about Atalanta, that's not on the agenda. For a club like Paris Saint-Germain, playing finals and winning trophies is important. That would be the best way to prepare for the Champions League.”