He was a versatile right sided player who also could "be played as a lone striker, behind the front two" or at the heart of midfield.

[2] Varela started his career in Nacional in Uruguay, and played between 2002 and 2008 for FC Schalke 04 in Germany.

[3] Varela transferred to Argentina to play for recently promoted Quilmes in the 2010–11 Argentine Primera División season.

[4] Varela made 24 appearances for the Uruguay national football team,[5] and was a participant at the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

This biographical article about a football midfielder from Uruguay born in the 1970s is a stub.