Fernando Varela
Varela with PAOK in 2018
Personal information
Full name Fernando Lopes dos Santos Varela
Date of birth (1987-11-26) 26 November 1987[1]
Place of birth Cascais, Portugal[1]
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Casa Pia
Number 15
Youth career
1996–2004 AFD Torre
2004–2006 Estoril
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006–2009 Estoril 28 (1)
2006–2007 → Rio Maior (loan) 21 (3)
2009–2011 Trofense 50 (2)
2011–2012 Feirense 30 (2)
2012–2013 Vaslui 37 (1)
2013–2016 Steaua București 82 (10)
2016–2022 PAOK 144 (6)
2022– Casa Pia 38 (1)
International career
2008–2019 Cape Verde 51 (3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:11, 23 November 2023 (UTC)

Fernando Lopes dos Santos Varela (born 26 November 1987) is a Cape Verdean professional footballer who plays mainly as a centre-back for Primeira Liga club Casa Pia.

Club career

Portugal

Varela with Steaua București in 2015

Born in Cascais, Varela started playing professionally with G.D. Estoril Praia in the Segunda Liga, being loaned to lowly U.D. Rio Maior for one year during his spell. In January 2009 he moved to C.D. Trofense, as the northern club was playing for the first time in the Primeira Liga. He managed to appear regularly during the season, but they were relegated.

In the summer of 2011, after two additional second-tier seasons with Trofense, Varela signed for C.D. Feirense, returned to the top flight after a 22-year absence. In the following campaign he played all league games as a starter, notably scoring twice against S.L. Benfica on 28 January 2012 (one in his own net) in a 1–2 loss where he also committed a penalty,[2] and his team would again drop down a division.

Romania

Varela signed a three-year contract with Romanian side FC Vaslui on 29 May 2012.[3] On 3 September of the following year he joined FC Steaua București also from Liga I, after agreeing to a three-year deal for a €1.25 million transfer fee.[4]

At the end of 2014–15, Málaga CF showed interest in acquiring Varela, but Steaua rejected the Spaniards' €6 million offer.[5] He appeared in 47 matches across all competitions, in an eventual double conquest.

PAOK

Varela playing with PAOK in 2016

On 23 July 2016, Varela, who had less than six months left on his contract, moved to the Super League Greece with PAOK FC for three years and a €1.4 million fee.[6] He scored his first goal in the 2017–18 season on 12 February 2018, heading home in a 3–0 win against Athlitiki Enosi Larissa F.C. at the Toumba Stadium.[7]

On 21 May 2019, Varela declined the club's contract renewal offer.[8]

International career

Varela with Cape Verde in December 2013

Portuguese-born, Varela opted to represent Cape Verde internationally, his debut coming in 2008. On 24 May 2010, he appeared in a friendly in Covilhã with Portugal – which were preparing for the FIFA World Cup in South Africa – playing the entire match as the minnows (ranked 117th) managed a 0–0 draw.[9]

The Blue Sharks were disqualified from the 2014 World Cup when it was revealed that Varela had played in a qualifying match against Tunisia, despite not completing a four-match suspension for a red card he had received against Equatorial Guinea on 24 March 2013.[10] That game was later rendered invalid by FIFA as a result of Equatorial Guinea fielding ineligible Emilio Nsue, but Varela's disciplinary record stood.[11]

Career statistics

Club

As of 1 July 2023[12]
Club performance League National Cup League Cup Continental Other Total
Club SeasonLeague AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals
Rio Maior (loan) 2006–07 Segunda Divisão 21320–––233
Estoril 2005–06 Segunda Liga 0010–––10
2007–08 1701010––190
2008–09 1112041––172
Total 4946051––605
Trofense 2008–09 Primeira Liga 11100–––111
2009–10 1200010––130
2010–11 2711000––281
Total 5021010––522
Feirense 2011–12 Primeira Liga 3021021––333
Vaslui 2012–13 Liga I 32100–41–362
2013–14 5000–––50
Total 67300–41–745
Steaua București 2013–14 Liga I 23461–20–315
2014–15 303302011010473
2015–16 29340105110404
Total 8210131301812011812
PAOK 2016–17 Super League Greece 24170–80–391
2017–18 26160–40–361
2018–19 27240–121–433
2019–20 28151–40–372
2020–21 23130–101–362
2021–22 16000–60–220
Total 1446251–442–2139
Casa Pia 2022–23 Primeira Liga 2711031--312
2023–24
Career total 419264621436642054835

International goals

#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.4 September 2010Várzea, Praia, Cape Verde Mali1–0Win2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
2.29 February 2012Mahamasina Municipal Stadium, Antananarivo, Madagascar Madagascar4–0Win2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
3.27 January 2013Nelson Mandela, Port Elizabeth, South Africa Angola2–1Win2013 Africa Cup of Nations
As of 15 November 2018[13]

Honours

Steaua București

PAOK

Individual

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Fernando Varela". Eurosport. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  2. ↑ Kundert, Tom (28 January 2012). "Benfica comeback sees off Feirense". PortuGOAL. Archived from the original on 4 May 2012. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
  3. ↑ Pinto, Vítor (29 May 2012). "Varela no Vaslui até 2015" [Varela in Vaslui until 2015]. Record (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 14 March 2014. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
  4. ↑ "Bine ai venit, Fernando Varela!" [Welcome, Fernando Varela!] (in Romanian). FC Steaua București. 3 September 2013. Archived from the original on 13 August 2016. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
  5. ↑ Vlad, Daniel; Blanuta, Cristian (3 June 2015). "Exclusiv! Pică transferul la Steaua? "Nu ne-am înţeles încă!"" [Exclusive! Pică transferred to Steaua? "We have not heard a thing!"]. Fanatik (in Romanian). Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  6. ↑ Βαρέλα και επίσημα στον ΠΑΟΚ [Varela officially in PAOK] (in Greek). Sport 24. 23 July 2016. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
  7. ↑ Petrotós, Kóstas (12 February 2018). Επίδειξη ισχύος, 3–0 ο ΠΑΟΚ την ΑΕΛ [Power display, 3–0 from PAOK to AEL] (in Greek). Sport 24. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  8. ↑ Το παρασκήνιο για το "όχι" του Βαρέλα στον ΠΑΟΚ [The reasons for Varela's "no" to PAOK]. Proto Thema (in Greek). 21 May 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  9. ↑ "Portugal held to 0–0 draw by Cape Verde". USA Today. 24 May 2010. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
  10. ↑ "Equatorial Guinea 0–3 Cape Verde Islands". FIFA. 24 March 2013. Archived from the original on 26 March 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
  11. ↑ "FIFA bans Cape Verde from World Cup". Fox Sports. 12 September 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 "Fernando Varela". Soccerway. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
  13. ↑ "Fernando Varela – Matches". Soccerway. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
  14. ↑ "Paok win Greek cup final over Olympiakos". Greek City Times. 23 May 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  15. ↑ "Τα βραβεία του ΠΣΑΠ για τη σεζόν 2017–18" [PSAP awards for the 2017–18 season] (in Greek). Ta Meteora. 15 February 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  16. ↑ "Βραβεία ΠΣΑΠ: Oι κορυφαίοι της Superleague για τη σεζόν 2018–19! (pics)" [PSAP awards: Superleague's best in the 2018–19 season! (pics)] (in Greek). News IT. 28 January 2020. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
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