Paulo Silas

Paulo Silas do Prado Pereira (born 27 August 1965), also known as Paulo Silas, Silas Pereira or simply Silas, is a Brazilian football pundit, coach, and former professional player.

In his playing career as a central midfielder, he broke through at São Paulo in the mid-1980s, before playing for Sporting CP in Portugal, Cesena and Sampdoria in Italy, and San Lorenzo in Argentina among others. After winning South American and world titles with the under-20 team in 1985, he earned 34 caps for Brazil between 1986 and 1992. He was chosen for the FIFA World Cup in 1986 and 1990 and the Copa América in 1987 and 1989, winning the latter.

Silas began working as a manager in 2007, and led Avaí in three spells, including their best Campeonato Brasileiro Série A finish of 6th in 2009. He briefly managed Grêmio and Flamengo in the same league the following year, and Al-Arabi and Al-Gharafa of the Qatar Stars League.

Personal life
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. He is the young brother of the also footballer Eli Carlos, and twin brother of Paulo Pereira.

Club career
During his playing career from 1984 to 2003 he played in Brazil, Portugal, Uruguay, Argentina, Japan and Italy at São Paulo, Internacional, Vasco da Gama, Atlético Paranaense, Rio Branco de Americana, Ituano, América Mineiro, Portuguesa, Internacional de Limeira, Sporting Lisbon, San Lorenzo de Almagro, Central Español, Kyoto Purple Sanga, A.C. Cesena and U.C. Sampdoria.

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).

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.

International career
In 1985, Silas was part of the Brazil under-20 team that won the South American Championship and the FIFA World Youth Championship.

Silas made his international debut for Brazil on 16 March 1986 in a 3–0 friendly loss away to Hungary. He went to the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, where he made late substitute appearances in the last 16 win over Poland and the penalty shootout elimination by France in the quarter-finals. At the 1987 Copa América, he played once against Venezuela in a group-stage exit; he played five games of the 1989 edition victory on home soil.

On 20 August 1989, Silas scored his only international goal in a 6–0 win over Venezuela in 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification at the Estádio do Morumbi. He made three appearances off the bench, including the 1–0 loss to rivals Argentina in the last 16.

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. He led the newly promoted club from Santa Catarina to a best-ever sixth place in the 2009 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A.

Grêmio
In December 2009, Silas was hired by Grêmio. 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. Also in May, his team made the Copa do Brasil semi-finals, losing 6–5 on aggregate to Santos. 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.

Flamengo
On 29 August 2010, Silas was hired by Flamengo on a one-year deal. He replaced Rogério Lourenço, and got the job instead of 1994 FIFA World Cup-winning manager Carlos Alberto Parreira. He was hired by the club's director Zico in his hometown of Campinas, where Flamengo had travelled to play Guarani.

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.

Qatar
Silas returned to Avaí in February 2011. 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. 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.

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. On 27 November, he terminated his deal so he could look at offers from other Middle Eastern or Brazilian clubs.

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.

In September 2013, Silas was hired at América Mineiro in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B. 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. He then had a seven-game spell at Portuguesa in Série B, winning once and drawing twice before his termination on 11 September.

Silas was hired by Ceará on 13 February 2015. His team reached the final of the Campeonato Cearense, losing 4–3 on aggregate to his former employers Fortaleza, 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.

At the end of March 2016, Silas signed for a third spell at Avaí, tasked with taking them back to the top division. His tenure ended on 20 August, with the team in 15th place after 28 games.

In September 2019, Silas became a pundit for ESPN Brasil.

Player
Sampdoria
 * Supercoppa Italiana: 1991

Internacional
 * Campeonato Gaúcho: 1992
 * Copa do Brasil: 1992

Vasco da Gama
 * Campeonato Carioca: 1994

San Lorenzo
 * Argentine Primera División: 1994–95 (Clausura)

Atlético-PR
 * Campeonato Paranaense: 2000

Brazil U20
 * South American Youth Football Championship: 1985
 * FIFA World Youth Championship: 1985

Managerial
Grêmio
 * Campeonato Gaúcho: 2010

Al-Arabi
 * Sheikh Jassem Cup: 2011

Al-Gharafa
 * Emir of Qatar Cup: 2012

Ceará
 * Copa do Nordeste: 2015