External links
- Rafael Floro at ForaDeJogo (archived)
- Rafael Floro national team profile at the Portuguese Football Federation (in Portuguese)
- Rafael Floro at Soccerbase
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rafael da Silva Floro [1] | ||
| Date of birth | 19 January 1994 [1] | ||
| Place of birth | Quarteira, Portugal [1] | ||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) [1] | ||
| Position | Left back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Balzan | ||
| Number | 42 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2002–2007 | Quarteirense | ||
| 2007–2009 | Sporting CP | ||
| 2009 | Académica | ||
| 2010 | Louletano | ||
| 2010–2011 | Internacional Almancil | ||
| 2011–2013 | Porto | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2013 | Porto B | 0 | (0) |
| 2013–2015 | Sheffield Wednesday | 1 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | Belenenses | 0 | (0) |
| 2015 | → Casa Pia (loan) | 3 | (1) |
| 2016 | → Almancilense (loan) | 13 | (1) |
| 2016–2017 | Louletano | 17 | (1) |
| 2017 | Gil Vicente | 7 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | Cova Piedade | 5 | (0) |
| 2018 | Stumbras | 10 | (2) |
| 2019 | Felgueiras 1932 | 13 | (0) |
| 2019–2020 | Olhanense | 6 | (1) |
| 2020–2021 | Panevėžys | 51 | (5) |
| 2022 | AC Oulu | 23 | (5) |
| 2023–2024 | Novi Pazar | 17 | (1) |
| 2024– | Balzan | 14 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2012 | Portugal U18 | 3 | (0) |
| 2014 | Portugal U20 | 5 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 26 June 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 2 September 2023 | |||
Rafael da Silva Floro (born 19 January 1994) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a left back for the team Balzan in the Maltese Premier League.
Born in Quarteira, Algarve, Floro played youth football with six clubs, including local C.D.R. Quarteirense from ages 8 to 13. He finished his development with FC Porto and, although he was selected to some Segunda Liga matches by the B team to kickstart his senior career, he could never appear in the competition. [2]
In summer 2013, Floro went on trial with English Football League Championship side Sheffield Wednesday, which had all of their full-backs injured, and signed a one-year contract on 6 August after impressing. [3] That same day, he made his professional debut, being replaced midway through the second half of a 2–1 away loss against Rotherham United in the first round of the League Cup. [4] His first league game took place on the 10th, when he played the first half of another 1–2 defeat, now at home to Burnley. [5]
On 10 May 2015, after no further competitive appearances for the Owls, Floro was released. [6] Shortly after, he returned to his country and joined Primeira Liga club C.F. Os Belenenses on a four-year deal. [7] He also failed to play one single competitive match with the latter, being loaned to teams in the lower leagues. [8]
Floro returned to the Portuguese second tier on 31 January 2017, penning a two-and-a-half-year contract with Gil Vicente F.C. after leaving Louletano DC. [9] He continued to compete in that league but also the third, [10] having abroad spells in Lithuania with FC Stumbras and FK Panevėžys [11] [12] and in Finland with AC Oulu. [13]
In May 2014, Floro was picked by coach Ilídio Vale for his Portuguese under-20 squad which was due to appear in that year's Toulon Tournament. He made four appearances during the competition, helping his team to a final third position. [14]
| Club | Season | League | Cup [a] | League cup [b] | Continental [c] | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Porto B | 2012–13 | LigaPro | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Sheffield Wednesday | 2013–14 | Championship | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2014–15 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||
| Belenenses | 2015–16 | Primeira Liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Casa Pia (loan) | 2015–16 | Campeonato de Portugal | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | ||
| Almancilense (loan) | 2015–16 | Campeonato de Portugal | 13 | 1 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 | |||
| Louletano | 2016–17 | Campeonato de Portugal | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 17 | 1 | ||
| Gil Vicente | 2016–17 | LigaPro | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |||
| Cova Piedade | 2017–18 | LigaPro | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 6 | 0 | |||
| Stumbras | 2018 | A Lyga | 10 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 12 | 2 | |||
| Felgueiras 1932 | 2018–19 | Campeonato de Portugal | 13 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 13 | 0 | ||||
| Olhanense | 2019–20 | Campeonato de Portugal | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 7 | 1 | |||
| Panevėžys | 2020 | A Lyga | 17 | 1 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | 21 | 3 | |||
| 2021 | A Lyga | 34 | 4 | 4 | 0 | — | 2 [d] | 0 | 1 [e] | 0 | 41 | 0 | ||
| Total | 51 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 62 | 7 | ||
| AC Oulu | 2022 | Veikkausliiga | 25 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 31 | 6 | ||
| Novi Pazar | 2023–24 | Serbian SuperLiga | 17 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 19 | 1 | |||
| Balzan | 2024–25 | Maltese Premier League | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | ||||
| Career total | 173 | 17 | 18 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 197 | 23 | ||
