Cape Verdean triumphs as World Futsal Player of the Year 2022
Sporting Portugal’s Cape Verdean Pany Varela, born in Tarrafal de Santiago, won the World Futsal Planet Player of the Year award for 2022 on the 22nd of this month.
Although it refers to the 2022 season, according to the Abola newspaper, the award has only just been given, with the 35-year-old Portuguese international, who has been wearing green and white for eight seasons, succeeding Brazilian Ferrão.
In 2022, the 35-year-old was European Champion for Portugal and runner-up in the European Championship with Sporting (losing the final to Barcelona), as well as winning all the national trophies with the Lions – the league championship, the Portuguese Cup, the League Cup and the Super Cup.
To win this trophy, Anilton César Varela Silva, or simply Pany Varela, beat nine other nominees, including Zicky Té, Sporting’s forward, as well as Dieguinho, ex-Sporting, Alan Brandi, ex-Benfica, Sergio Lozano and Pito, from Barcelona, Allan, from Corinthians, El Mesrar, from Étoile Lavalloise, Abbasi, from Valdepeñas and Oladghobad, from Palma.
The Portuguese-German winger thus ends the reign of Ferrão, Barcelona’s Brazilian forward, who won the last three editions of the award.
Pany Varela, born in Cape Verde on February 25, 1989, is a professional futsal player who currently plays for Sporting Clube de Portugal and the Portuguese national futsal team.
