 Even though he played as a striker at Paulista, coach Ljubiša Stamenković gave him the role of an attacking midfielder.In the first half of the 2011–12 season, he and Filip Kasalica (before he departed to join Red Star Belgrade) were listed as the most formidable striker partnership in the entire league.Thiago scored 6 goals and had 8 assists that season and was one of the best players in the league, attracting interest from domestic clubs as well as clubs from the Western Europe.