Diego Lugano and Thiago Silva have many things in common, and they are also set to share the pitch in Wednesday's Confederations Cup semifinal between Brazil and Uruguay.
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The two men are teammates at PSG, they play in the same position and they each captain their national teams: Lugano is Uruguay's unquestioned heart and soul, while Thiago Silva is the calm, balanced force behind Brazil's attacking hurricane.
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"We are good friends," Thiago Silva said of Lugano.
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And yet they currently have very different prospects.
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Age is of course an important factor, and while at 28 the Brazilian still has a few years ahead of him as a professional footballer, it is fair to assume that Lugano, 32, is approaching retirement, or at least a withdrawal from the top tier of global football.
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Lugano played in Brazil for Sao Paulo for three years until 2006, a very successful stint which included a Copa Libertadores title and a lost final as well as a Fifa Club World Cup trophy. He is still a favourite with the clubs' fans, and his return is never quite out of the question.
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There are certainly better players than Lugano, even when he was in his prime, but his leadership skills and his drive have always been up there with the best of them. It was those qualities, real assets in a centre-back, that took him first to Fenerbahce and then, in 2011, to PSG.
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At PSG, already in his thirties, things did not quite work out. A mix of injuries and poor form made the French side look for alternatives, and they signed Thiago Silva from Milan.
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The two shared a few months in Paris, but then Lugano was loaned out to Malaga, and while he is set to return this summer it is likely that he will be leaving again: the Uruguayan's real loyalties lie with his national team, and he knows that he cannot afford a year on the bench with the World Cup looming on the horizon.
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Thiago Silva has had his share of professional disappointment. He moved to Europe at 20 but failed to impress at either Porto or Dynamo Moscow and returned to Brazil within two years to rebuild his career.