Marco Silva admitted that Fulham obtaining European football is ‘an important factor’ on whether he stays at the club or not. The Portuguese’s contract runs out at the end of June.
Marco Silva admitted that Fulham obtaining European football will have an ‘important factor’ on whether he stays at the club beyond this season.
Fulham are on the brink of reaching European football for the first time since 2012.
They sit in 10th in the Premier League, level on points with eighth-placed Chelsea, which would mean Conference League football.
That follows a 1-0 win over Aston Villa, where Ryan Sessegnon’s first-half goal was enough for the Cottagers to win their first game since March 21.
With four games now to go in the Premier League, Fulham fans cannot quite get ahead of themselves, with Silva’s potential exit the big elephant in the room.
The Portuguese was offered a contract by the Fulham board back in October but he has stalled on signing it and now it is reaching a critical stage in negotiations.
It appears that the general consensus among fans and the club’s hierarchy is that they want Silva to continue.
He himself seems to be content in west London but, as with anyone in football, he is ambitious and he wants to be managing in Europe.
Fulham may well be able to provide that for him but should they not be able to, it seems very likely his mind could be swayed.
Speaking on TNT Sports following the win over Villa, Silva said: “It is an important factor, of course [reaching European football].
“At the end of the season, we are going to analyse the season, after five years at this football club and not a problem if we are going to extend because I love to be here.
“When you have almost five years, and you don’t feel the time going, it is a very good sign, but as you know, I am demanding, I am very ambitious and sometimes it is not always easy.
“They listen to me every single day because one thing I know is I am the first one to demand from them, and sometimes we have to be calm, to analyse and see what is going to be best for the club in the future.”
Silva admitting that time has passed quickly will be something that pleases Fulham fans but now it makes the remaining four matches, against Arsenal, Bournemouth, Wolves and Newcastle, that much more important, with so much on the line.
If Fulham do enough and make Europe, that could well be enough to convince Silva to stay.
If they fall apart in the final four matches, it could have quite grave consequences.