Portugal coach Jorge Jesus hails Monza’s Varela: ‘Remarkable quality is needed to top Serie A scoring charts’
MONZA, ITALY - AUGUST 14: Gustavo Varela of AC Monza celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the Coppa Italia first round match between AC Monza and US Avellino at Stadio Brianteo on August 14, 2026 in Monza, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
Portugal coach Jorge Jesus says Gustavo Varela’s goals for Monza earned him his place in the national team squad.
With quotes via TuttoMercatoWeb, the coach explained his decision to call up the Monza forward and Fábio Silva at his press conference for this month’s international fixtures.
Varela has been one of the surprises of the Serie A season. The 21-year-old leads the scoring charts for Ivan Juric’s side, who are in the relegation battle. He has eight league goals, including a brace against Cagliari and the equaliser against Torino.
His form has drawn interest from bigger clubs. Napoli are reported to see him as their most concrete option in attack, although Monza don’t want to sell.
Jesus explains Varela’s Portugal call-up
“In the time we spent together before these call-ups, the team had already shown its technical and tactical qualities, as well as a strong bond between the players,” Jesus said. “The fact that many of them had already worked with me gave me an advantage. My real strength is that the players believe in the journey, in the philosophy and in the desire to keep winning.
“As for Fábio Silva, he’s growing at his club and has played very well in recent games. His characteristics match my idea of a striker.
“On Varela… he’s the top scorer in Italian football. To achieve that you need remarkable quality. Starting from that, I decided to put my faith in him, also because we mustn’t forget he’s only 21.”
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