Fábio Silva on adapting to German football and culture at Borussia Dortmund
Fábio Silva says he is happy with how his first season at Borussia Dortmund is going, even though it's unlikely to end in silverware.
After moving to Dortmund from English Premier League outfit Wolverhampton Wanderers last August, Silva has become an increasingly important part of a BVB team on course to finish the 2025/26 campaign as Bundesliga runners-up behind defending champions Bayern Munich.
The Portuguese forward, who has registered eight goal involvements in all competitions so far this season, told the Bundesliga that he is particularly grateful to the Dortmund fans for aiding his transition to a new team, country and culture...
Bundesliga: You joined Dortmund last summer. How would you describe your journey so far?
Fábio Silva: "I think my journey so far was really good. I think I arrived, of course, not in the best shape. Everyone knows I had some injuries last season. I came from an operation, so I was taking my time to try to get back to 100 percent in terms of physicality, and I think at this moment, I'm at that point.
"I think with all the work I do with the guys in the gym, with the staff members, and what I am giving out to the team in the games, I think I'm really improving this season, and yes, I'm really happy. Of course, when you come to a club like Dortmund, your standard has to be higher, you have to be 100 percent every single time because you compete with the best players in the world.
"We have a lot of qualities in our team, so your standards, as I say, have to be always at the best, in the best mood, or with the best qualities. So yes, I'm really happy to be here, and I think for the first season with all the things around that, I think I'm having a good season."
Bundesliga: So how have you adpated to German culture, both as a player and as a young man living in a foreign country?
Silva: "Of course, it's different because I'm from Portugal. I've been in Spain already, so I love Spain. I'm a person who likes contact, I like to feel a little bit of that connection, and of course German people are a little bit different in that regard, so I have to learn too.
"But yes, I think I don't need too much adaptation wherever I go because I've been in a lot of countries throughout my career. So, yes, at this point I don't need too much, and it's easy here because since I arrived, all the people in the club, the fans, the people around the city give me a lot of love, a lot of support, and these things are the most important.
"When you feel this, you feel like you are at home. So, this is the most important, no better feeling than that to come here and feel that, and after you have to give one hundred percent to them too."
Bundesliga: You mentioned you've been to many places; you've played in many different stadiums. How would you rate the Signal Iduna Park?
Silva: "Wow, something special, something different. Before I played here, I always said I wanted to play here one day, because it was one of the best environments I saw on TV or on my phone or something like that, and I watch a lot of games like the Champions League and those things.
"And I always said it's something different, and now I have the chance to play for them, to run, to fight for this club is something special, something I really like and appreciate. When I come on, when I play, when I see the people around the street, they always try to give me that support, that love, and I think this is the most important. I feel happy."
Watch: Inside Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park
Bundesliga: You're still young. What did you need to learn when you arrived in Dortmund and what have you learned so far?
Silva: "I learned a lot of things. I think every country has a different culture. In Portugal, we have our culture; here in Germany, they have their culture. When I was in England, they have the same, so I think you have to adapt.
"I think it's really easy to adapt here because Dortmund is one of the best clubs in the world. We have all the things we need to perform. All the people around the club try to give their best for us, the players, to perform one hundred percent in the games.
"And of course, I'm 23 years old, I still have a lot to learn. I learned a lot already this year, but I still have a lot to learn. Even when I am 40 years old, I'm going to keep learning because I think life is like that. So yes, I learn every single day with my teammates, with the staff, with the people around the club, and I think this is the most important thing."
Bundesliga: How would you assess Dortmund's season so far? It wasn't bad, but once again, no title.
Silva: "No, of course, in a general way, it's not what we want, because at a club like Dortmund your standards have to be always high, and you try to play every single game to win and to win titles.
"We know we have that pressure to give that to the fans, and when we play with this shirt, we have that pressure to win every single game. We know our capacities, our qualities, the players we have in the squad. Every player can do different roles on the team, so yes, I think we have a big team, big quality in our squad.
"Of course, we're not fully happy because we cannot realistically fight for a title for now, but of course we can improve a lot of things, and we can win a lot more than titles to keep building this team and this club."
Bundesliga: Dortmund are currently in a period of transition, so do you feel a new sense of energy with the club right now, especially with the view towards the next season?
Silva: "Of course. As I always say, sometimes people, and I did too, had that problem before. I want everything quick in my life. I want to do everything in one day. But I think life takes time, good things take time.
"I signed a five-year contract, not a one-year. Sometimes people forget that, so I'm really happy to be here. Of course, people sometimes make a lot of noise but I don't listen to what's happening around.
"I try to focus on myself - what I can improve in training, in the games, how I can improve my game. That's the most important for me. I signed a five-year contract; I feel really happy. I feel the trust of everyone on the training ground, and that is the most important for me."
Bundesliga: You started playing as a young kid, do you remember when you first fell in love with the sport?
Silva: "Well, I started playing at seven years old. I think I played for the team in my city where my grandfather was from. Yes, I started to play there, and after I went to Gondomar, and then I went to Porto, my team.
"It’s my team, of course, and special in my heart. After that, there were a lot of teams. It was something special right from the start because my father played football before, and my brother still plays football. So, in our house, it was always everything about football, and yes, we breathe football in our house."
Bundesliga: So how did your move to Wolverhampton come about? How difficult was it for you to leave your home country at such a young age?
Silva: "It was difficult, but at this moment, I'm 23 years old. When I went to Wolves I was 17, so my view of things is different now because I'm more mature.
"At that time, I was not more mature and didn't appreciate some things. Of course, I have some faults in the process. Some parts are not my fault, but this is football. At the moment, maybe when I left Porto for Wolves at 17 years old, maybe it was not the best time for me to leave, and maybe I didn’t want to take that step.
"In football, a lot of things happen around you and you don’t control some things, you cannot say no in that moment. So, everything was planned for me to leave, and maybe it was not my decision to take that step, but I cannot say anything because I went to one of the best leagues in the world.
"Maybe that time helped me a lot to play against big centre-backs, some of the best players in the world, and made me a better player now. But yes, if you ask me if it was the right moment to leave Porto and go there, maybe not, because I was so young, and you take that step to one of the biggest leagues in the world. It's difficult.
"You always have to take two sides in your life, and I took the other one because this helped me a lot to be the player I am today, and I think I gained a lot of things in that moment too."
Bundesliga: What makes you happy aside from playing football?
Silva: "I think this is easy - to be with my family and my friends. I think that's the most important because they are always with me in the good moments and the bad moments.
"I know they push me, and they are happy when I win something. When I'm happy, I see they are happy for me too. I'm a simple guy. I like to play paddle, for example, in my free time. I like to play paddle and be with my friends and family. That's the most important."
Bundesliga: And what’s the story behind you, and I hope I pronounce it right, Snakaria FC?
Silva: "Yes, it's a team of one of my best friends. Every Sunday they play against other teams in a tournament, like you see in Spain, like the King's League. The King's League in Spain, they play this tournament every Sunday.
When I have time and when I go to Portugal, I always try to go to the games and be with them because I have a good relationship with them, because one of them is my best friend and with other players too.
"Now I have a good friendship, and yes, I think it's important. I think Portugal has to create a good league, like Spain's King's League. I think it's going to be good."
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