Silvestre Manuel Gonçalves Varela (born 2 February 1985) is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a winger.
He represented mainly Porto during his career, amassing Primeira Liga totals of 268 matches and 47 goals over 12 seasons and winning 11 major titles, including three national championships and the 2011 Europa League. He also competed professionally in Spain, England, Italy and Turkey.
Before the season was over, in March 2009, courtesy of his solid performances at Estrela, only relegated from the Primeira Liga off the field, Varela signed a five-year agreement with champions FC Porto on a free transfer, starting in July.[9] He made his debut on 9 August by starting in the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, a 2–0 win against F.C. Paços de Ferreira.[10] In his first year he ranked second in overall goals in the squad, only behind Radamel Falcao; in March 2010, however, he broke his fibula in training, being lost for the remainder of the campaign[11] as the team finished third. He missed the conclusion of their conquest of the Taça de Portugal, though he scored in the 5–2 home victory over Sporting in the quarter-finals.[12]
In the 2011–12 season, under new manager Vítor Pereira, Varela – as practically all Portuguese players (the roster was composed of three nationals) – lost his importance.[16] On 16 February 2012, in a rare start, he put his team ahead against Manchester City in the round of 32 of the Europa League, in an eventual 1–2 home loss.[17] In September, he extended his contract to 2016.[18]
On 20 January 2015, still owned by Porto, Varela joined Parma F.C. until June.[23] He scored his first goal on 8 April – after the club had been declared bankrupt – as the only one of a home win against Udinese Calcio.[24] In the final two Serie A games of the campaign, his goals earned 2–2 draws against Hellas Verona FC and UC Sampdoria, though the team from the Stadio Ennio Tardini finished dead last.[25][26] Following his loan, he extended his Porto contract for three more years.[27]
Kayserispor
Having made only seven appearances for Porto during the season, Varela, who was by then the club's longest serving player, ended his seven-and-a-half-year link on 20 January 2017 by signing for Turkey's Kayserispor.[28] He and fellow veteran Asamoah Gyan were told at the end of their contracts in June 2018 that they would only be retained if they signed performance-based deals, due to their injury record.[29]
Varela returned to Porto on 20 July 2021; the 36-year-old was brought to pass on experience and knowledge to the young players in the reserves, who competed in the Liga Portugal 2.[33] He scored in his very first match in the competition, a 2–2 home draw against newly promoted C.D. Trofense.[34]
In June 2022, Varela agreed to a one-year extension.[35] He then retired.[36]
Due to his Porto performances, Varela earned his first full cap for the Portugal national team on 3 March 2010, appearing in the second half of the 2–0 friendly win over China in a match played in Coimbra.[37] His first goal came on 26 March 2011 in a 1–1 friendly draw with Chile, in Leiria.[38]
Varela was selected by manager Paulo Bento for the 23-man squad that competed in UEFA Euro 2012. He played ten minutes in the group stage opener against Germany, in an eventual 1–0 loss.[39] Again coming from the bench for Raul Meireles, he scored an 88th-minute 3–2 winner over Denmark in the following game.[40]
On 19 May 2014, Varela was picked for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.[41] On 23 June, again after having replaced Meireles, he headed home in the 94th minute to earn his team a 2–2 draw against the United States in the group phase.[42]
Personal life
Varela's nephew Nilton is also a footballer, playing in defence. The pair were teammates at B-SAD and Porto B.[43][44]
^Pinto, Pedro Gonçalo (8 October 2019). "Silvestre Varela reforça Belenenses SAD" [Silvestre Varela bolsters Belenenses SAD]. Record (in Portuguese). Retrieved 12 January 2020.
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