Guillermo Varela #13

Profile

Has revived his career in Brazil after initially leaving Europe under a cloud. His performances at the Under-20 World Cup in 2013, where Uruguay reached the final, were enough to attract interest from Manchester United. From there, he went on loan to Real Madrid – only playing for the B team – and Eintracht Frankfurt. His time in Germany ended on a sour note because of a swollen tattoo he got shortly before the DFB-Pokal final. “All the other players had tattoos,” he said. “In my case, I didn’t get an infection but the coach said I’d disrespected him because I missed a training session a few days before the final.” After spells in Denmark and Russia, the defender has won two Copa Libertadores titles with Flamengo.

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