Nilton Varela

Nilton Varela
Personal information
Full name	Nilton Varela Lopes
Date of birth	25 May 2001 (age 23)
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
2019–2022	B-SAD
2022–2024	Porto B
2024–	Estrela da Amadora
International career
2019	Cape Verde U19
2020	Portugal U19
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10 June 2024

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

^ ^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.
^ "Família Varela penaliza erros do Portimonense" [Varela family punish Portimonense's errors] (in Portuguese). Bancada. 26 January 2020. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
^ 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.
^ "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.
^ ^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.
^ "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.
^ "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.
^ "Seleção Sub-19 - Ficha de Jogo, resultados e equipas". www.fpf.pt.
^ "Seleção Sub-19 - Ficha de Jogo, resultados e equipas". www.fpf.pt.

External links

[record-1] "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.

[porto-5] "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.

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