Pany Varela
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Anilton César Varela da Silva | ||
Date of birth | 25 February 1989 | ||
Place of birth | Tarrafal, Cape Verde | ||
Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
Position(s) | Winger | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Sporting CP | ||
Number | 18 | ||
Youth career | |||
1999–2003 | Os Patuscos | ||
2003–2006 | Forte da Casa | ||
2006–2008 | Benfica | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2008–2013 | Benfica | ||
2012 | → Belenenses (loan) | ||
2012–2013 | → Olivais (loan) | 6 | (4) |
2013–2016 | Fundão | 36 | (26) |
2016–2024 | Sporting CP | 148 | (52) |
2024— | Al Nassr | ||
International career‡ | |||
2015– | Portugal | 64 | (14) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 00:00, 5 November 2021 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 00:00, 5 November 2021 (UTC) |
Anilton César Varela da Silva (born 25 February 1989), also known as Pany Varela, is a futsal player who plays for Al Nassr futsal club[1] as a winger. Born in Cape Verde, he represents Portugal internationally.
In 2021, he scored in the 2 most important finals of the sport, in terms of clubs and national teams, respectively: 1 goal[2] in the Champions League final against Barcelona and 2 goals[3] (the only ones in the match) in the final of the World Cup against Argentina, thus, aiding both his teams' victories in the competition.
Club career
[edit]Born in Tarrafal, Cape Verde, Varela moved to the ICeSa neighbourhood in Vialonga, Portugal in 1999 and started playing futsal for the local club Os Patuscos. [4][5] After three seasons at UDC Forte da Casa, he moved to the youth ranks of Benfica, staying just one year, earning a place in the main squad in 2008.[6] Over the three years he spent at Benfica, he won three league titles, four other cups, and was part of the squad that won the 2009–10 UEFA Futsal Cup.[7][8]
On 29 December 2011, Varela was loaned out to gain experience, joining Belenenses on a six-month deal.[9] He moved to Olivais on 19 August 2012, in an equal predicament, but for one season.[10][11]
On 16 June 2013, Varela moved to Fundão on a permanent deal,[12] In the first year there, he helped the club win their first title ever, the Taça de Portugal de Futsal, plus reach the playoff finals.[13][14] After three years with Fundão, Varela returned to Lisbon to play for Sporting CP, joining them on 19 July 2016.[15] He helped them reach two consecutive UEFA Futsal Cup finals in 2016–17 and 2017–18.[16][17]
International career
[edit]Varela made his debut for Portugal national team on 22 June 2015, and has represented them on the UEFA Futsal Euro 2016 and UEFA Futsal Euro 2018, winning the latter.[18]
Honours
[edit]- Benfica
- UEFA Futsal Cup: 2009–10
- Liga Portuguesa: 2008–09, 2011–12
- Taça de Portugal: 2008–09, 2011–12
- Supertaça de Portugal: 2010, 2012
- Fundão
- Taça de Portugal: 2013–14
- Sporting
- Liga Portuguesa: 2016–17, 2017–18, 2020–21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24
- Taça de Portugal: 2017–18, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021-22
- Taça da Liga de Futsal: 2016–17, 2020–21, 2021–22
- Supertaça de Portugal: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021
- Taça de Honra AF Lisboa: 2016, 2017
- UEFA Futsal Champions League: 2018-19, 2020–21
- Al Nassr
- Saudi Games: Bronze medal 2024
- Portugal
Individual
[edit]- Best Player in the World: 2022
- FIFA Futsal World Cup Silver Ball 2021
- FIFA Futsal World Cup Silver Shoe 2021
References
[edit]- ^ "Pany Varela Titles". linealaterale.it. 24 July 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
- ^ UEFA.com (3 May 2021). "Sporting sagra-se bicampeão da UEFA Futsal Champions League". UEFA.com (in Portuguese). Retrieved 6 October 2021.
- ^ "Pany fires Portugal to World Cup glory". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 6 October 2021.[dead link]
- ^ "Pany Varela: da formação no concelho de VFX até ao topo do mundo do futsal" [Pany Varela: from youth futsal in Vila Franca de Xira to the top of the futsal world]. O Mirante (in Portuguese). 4 October 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
- ^ "Anilton: "Estar no Benfica é o ponto mais alto"" [Anilton: "To be at Benfica, is my highest point"]. S.L. Benfica (in Portuguese). 23 December 2011. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
- ^ "Anilton, ala cabo-verdiano, renova com o Benfica" [Anilton, Cape-verdian winger, renews contract with Benfica]. A Semana (in Portuguese). 17 April 2009. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
- ^ "Máquina Encarnada" [Red machine]. Record (in Portuguese). 26 April 2010. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
- ^ "Décimo-quarto titulo" [Fourteenth title]. Em Defesa do Benfica. 11 September 2011. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
- ^ "Benfica cede Anilton ao Belenenses" [Benfica loans Anilton to Belenenses]. Record (in Portuguese). 29 December 2011. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
- ^ "Benfica empresta Anilton" [Benfica loans Anilton]. Record (in Portuguese). 19 August 2012. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
- ^ "Futsal: Anilton emprestado ao SL Olivais" [Anilton loaned to SL Olivais] (in Portuguese). S.L. Benfica. 19 August 2012. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
- ^ "Anilton ruma ao Fundão" [Anilton heads off to Fundão]. Futsal Global (in Portuguese). 16 June 2013. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
- ^ "Fundão vence Taça de Portugal frente ao Benfica" [Fundão wins Portuguese Cup against Benfica]. Diário de Noticias (in Portuguese). 4 May 2014. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
- ^ "Fundão elimina Benfica e está na final do campeonato de futsal" [Fundão eliminates Benfica and qualifies for the Playoff Final]. Público (in Portuguese). 31 May 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
- ^ ""Estou muito feliz por assinar pelo Sporting CP"" ["I'm very happy to sign for Sporting CP"]. Sporting CP (in Portuguese). 19 July 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
- ^ "Sporting perde final da UEFA Futsal Cup" [Sporting loses UEFA Futsal Cup finaç]. Record (in Portuguese). 22 April 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
- ^ "Sporting perde final da UEFA Futsal Cup por 7-0" [Sporting loses UEFA Cup Final by 7-0]. Record (in Portuguese). 30 April 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
- ^ "Pany National team data". Federação Portuguesa Futebol. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
- ^ "Pany Varela Titles". Finalball.com. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
External links
[edit]- Pany Varela national team profile at the Portuguese Football Federation (in Portuguese)
- Pany Varela club profile at the Portuguese Football Federation (in Portuguese)
- 1989 births
- Living people
- People from Santiago, Cape Verde
- Futsal forwards
- Cape Verdean emigrants to Portugal
- Naturalised citizens of Portugal
- Portuguese men's futsal players
- Cape Verdean men's futsal players
- S.L. Benfica (futsal) players
- C.F. Os Belenenses futsal players
- Sporting CP futsal players
- Portuguese sportspeople of Cape Verdean descent