Paulo Silas do Prado Pereira (born 27 August 1965), also known as Paulo Silas, Silas Pereira or simply Silas, is a Brazilian footballpundit, coach, and former professional player.
Silas was born in Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil. The Portuguese footballer Silas, who was a youth player at Sporting CP when the Brazilian was a first team player, took his nickname from his resemblance to him.[1] He is the young brother of the also footballer Eli Carlos, and twin brother of Paulo Pereira.
Silas scored the opening goal on his Sporting debut on 21 August 1988, a 2–1 win away to Leixões on the first day of the Primeira Liga season; of his 14 goals in 52 games for the team from Lisbon, this was the only header. On 5 October that year in the first round of the UEFA Cup, he netted in a 2–1 win away to Ajax in Amsterdam (6–3 aggregate).[2]
Silas played his last game for Sporting on 25 March 1990, scoring in a 2–1 loss to rivals Benfica in the Estádio da Luz. Amidst the club's financial crisis, they were unable to pay his insurance, leaving him unable to complete the season; the issue was covered up by an ankle injury he suffered for Brazil against England.[2]
On 20 August 1989, Silas scored his only international goal in a 6–0 win over Venezuela in 1990 FIFA World Cupqualification at the Estádio do Morumbi. He made three appearances off the bench, including the 1–0 loss to rivals Argentina in the last 16.[3]
Coaching career
Avaí
Silas was assistant to Zetti at Paraná and Fortaleza, and succeeded him at the latter for his first job in management in November 2007. The following March, he was signed by Avaí, who had previously been linked with Zetti.[5][6] He led the newly promoted club from Santa Catarina to a best-ever sixth place in the 2009 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A.[7]
Grêmio
In December 2009, Silas was hired by Grêmio.[8] He won the Campeonato Gaúcho state title in 2010 against his former club Internacional, but said that his team were not ready for the national league.[9] Also in May, his team made the Copa do Brasil semi-finals, losing 6–5 on aggregate to Santos.[10] He was dismissed on 8 August after taking two wins from 13 games in that championship to leave the team in 18th; a goalless draw in the Grenal derby against Inter had saved his job a week earlier.[11]
Silas' debut on 1 September 2010 was a 1–0 loss away to Cruzeiro. He was dismissed on 4 October having won once and drawn six times in ten games, leaving the team in 15th. After his penultimate game, he publicly criticised defender Jean for scoring an own goal in a 1–1 draw at Goiás.[13]
Qatar
Silas returned to Avaí in February 2011.[14] After losing all three of the first games of the national season, he left by his own accord for Al-Arabi in the Qatar Stars League.[15] In March 2012, he moved to Al-Gharafa in the same league, winning 4–1 on his debut the following day against Al Ahli with two goals by compatriot Diego Tardelli.[16]
Having son the Emir of Qatar Cup in the less than three months of his initial contract with the club from Al Rayyan, Silas signed a new one-year deal in June 2012.[17] On 27 November, he terminated his deal so he could look at offers from other Middle Eastern or Brazilian clubs.[18]
Return to Brazil
Silas returned to Brazil in a 45-day spell at Naútico ending on 2 June 2013. His debut was an elimination from the Copa do Brasil by CRAC-GO, followed by elimination from the Campeonato Pernambucano semi-finals by Santa Cruz and taking one point from three games at the start of the Série A season.[19]
In September 2013, Silas was hired at América Mineiro in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B.[20] The following 10 February, he was dismissed after a defeat to Belo Horizonte rivals Cruzeiro left the club second-from-bottom in a season that they were aiming for the Campeonato Mineiro title.[21] He then had a seven-game spell at Portuguesa in Série B, winning once and drawing twice before his termination on 11 September.[22]
Silas was hired by Ceará on 13 February 2015.[23] His team reached the final of the Campeonato Cearense, losing 4–3 on aggregate to his former employers Fortaleza,[24] but won the Copa do Nordeste. He left by mutual accord on 27 June after winning once and drawing twice in the first nine games of the Série B season.[25]
At the end of March 2016, Silas signed for a third spell at Avaí, tasked with taking them back to the top division.[26] His tenure ended on 20 August, with the team in 15th place after 28 games.[27]
In September 2019, Silas became a pundit for ESPN Brasil.[28]
^Hernan, André (29 August 2010). "Silas é o novo técnico do Flamengo" [Silas is the new manager of Flamengo] (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
^"Silas deixa o comando do Al Gharafa" [Silas leaves the helm of Al-Gharafa] (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. 27 November 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
