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Nilton Varela
Personal information
Full name Nilton Varela Lopes
Date of birth (2001-05-25) 25 May 2001 (age 22)
Place of birth Lisbon, Portugal
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Left-back, winger
Team information
Current team
Estrela da Amadora
Number 75
Youth career
2009–2012 Sporting
2012–2016 Belenenses
2016–2017 Sporting
2017–2019 Belenenses
2019 B-SAD
Senior career*
Years Team Apps ( Gls)
2019–2022 B-SAD 42 (2)
2022–2024 Porto B 39 (3)
2024– Estrela da Amadora 0 (0)
International career
2019 Cape Verde U19 2 (0)
2020 Portugal U19 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:27, 30 January 2024 (UTC)

Nilton Varela Lopes (born 25 May 2001) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a left-back or winger for Primeira Liga club Estrela da Amadora.

Club career

Varela alternated between Lisbon-based clubs Sporting CP and C.F. Os Belenenses in his youth. He made his professional debut with Belenenses SAD in a 2–0 Primeira Liga loss away to Sporting on 10 November 2019. [1] The following 26 January, he scored his first goal in a 2–1 home win over Portimonense SC, with his uncle scoring the other. [2] He was a regular in the second half of the season as Petit replaced Pedro Ribeiro as manager, earning his place from unrelated Spaniard Francisco Varela. [3]

In March 2022, Portugal's Constitutional Court ordered B-SAD to pay over €30,000 in compensation to C.F. Os Belenenses for his development as a player. [4]

Varela transferred to FC Porto B on 19 August 2022, on a two-year deal. [5]

On 30 January 2024, Varela returned to the Primeira Liga, joining Estrela da Amadora. [6]

International career

Born in Portugal, Varela is of Cape Verdean descent. [7] He represented the Cape Verde under-19 teams in a friendly 2–0 loss to the Portuguese equivalent on 30 January 2019. [8] He then switched to represent the latter, making an appearance in a 3–1 win over France under-19 on 25 February 2020. [9]

Personal life

Varela made his professional debut for Belenenses SAD alongside his uncle Silvestre Varela, a winger who played mainly for FC Porto and was a long-time international for Portugal. [1] He was also his teammate at Porto B. [5]

References

  1. ^ a b "Nilton Varela e a estreia com o tio: «É um dia que vai ficar marcado na minha vida»" [Nilton Varela and debut with uncle: "It's a day that will remain etched in my life"]. Record (in Portuguese). 10 November 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  2. ^ "Família Varela penaliza erros do Portimonense" [Varela family punish Portimonense's errors] (in Portuguese). Bancada. 26 January 2020. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  3. ^ Gouveia Pereira, Miguel (23 May 2020). "Francisco Varela não deve voltar ao Belenenses SAD" [Francisco Varela must not return to Belenenses SAD]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  4. ^ "Belenenses SAD condenado a pagar mais de 30 mil euros ao Belenenses pela formação de Nilton Varela" [Belenenses SAD ordered to pay over 30 thousand euros to Belenenses for Nilton Varela's development]. Record (in Portuguese). 17 March 2022. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  5. ^ a b "FC Porto anuncia Nilton Varela como reforço da equipa B" [FC Porto announce Nilton Varela as B-team addition]. Record (in Portuguese). 19 August 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  6. ^ "Deixa FC Porto B e reforça Estrela da Amadora... para seguir pisadas do tio" [Leaves FC Porto B and reinforces Estrela da Amadora... to follow his uncle's footsteps]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 30 January 2024. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  7. ^ "Criolos No Estrangeiro: Futebol Portugal – Nilton Varela estreia-se na primeira liga portuguesa de futebol" [Creoles Abroad: Portugal Football – Nilton Varela debuts in Portuguese football's Primeira Liga] (in Portuguese). Criolo Sports. 11 November 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  8. ^ "Seleção Sub-19 - Ficha de Jogo, resultados e equipas". www.fpf.pt.
  9. ^ "Seleção Sub-19 - Ficha de Jogo, resultados e equipas". www.fpf.pt.

External links