Jair (footballer, born 3 August 1994)

Brazilian footballer (born 1994)

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Tavares and the second or paternal family name is da Silva.

Jair

Jair with Petrolul Ploiești in 2023

Personal information
Full name|  Jair Tavares da Silva
Date of birth|  (1994-08-03) 3 August 1994 (age 30)
Place of birth|  Barra de Santo Antônio, Brazil
Height|  1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s)|  Midfielder
Team information

Current team

|  Mes Rafsanjan
Number|  -
Youth career
0000–2013|  Cotia
2014|  Ituano
Senior career*
Years|  Team|  Apps|  (Gls)
2015–2016|  Ituano|  0|  (0)
2016|  → AC Oulu (loan)|  25|  (1)
2017–2018|  AC Oulu|  46|  (7)
2019–2020|  Ilves|  46|  (5)
2021–2022|  HJK|  31|  (8)
2022–2024|  Petrolul Ploiești|  72|  (10)
2024–2025|  Esenler Erokspor|  8|  (1)
2025|  Mes Rafsanjan|  4|  (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16 April 2025

Jair Tavares da Silva (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʒaˈiʁ]; born 3 August 1994), known mononymously as Jair, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder.

Jair started his senior career in native Brazil at Ituano, but made a name for himself after moving to Finland in 2016. There, he represented AC Oulu, Ilves, and HJK, winning a combined two domestic trophies in the country and being named in the Veikkausliiga Team of the Year in 2021. The following year, he signed for Romanian club Petrolul Ploiești.

## Career

[edit]

### Early career / AC Oulu

[edit]

Jair started out his senior career with Ituano in 2015, featuring sparringly for the Brazilian side—mostly in the Copa Paulista—before moving to Finnish club AC Oulu the next year. He spent his first season in the Ykkönen on loan,[1] after which he signed a permanent contract.

In the 2018 season, Jair was voted the second league's Midfielder of the Year by the Football Players Association.[2]

### Ilves

[edit]

In November 2018, Jair joined Veikkausliiga club Ilves,[3] where he played for two seasons. He made his top flight debut on 7 April 2019, in a 2–0 away win over KPV, and scored his first goal in the competition one month later, in a 1–1 dome draw with Honka.

On 15 June 2019, Jair played the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 victory over IFK Mariehamn in the final of the Finnish Cup.[4] On 27 August 2020, he made his first European appearance by starting in a UEFA Europa League first qualifying round match with Irish club Shamrock Rovers; he converted his penalty shoot-out kick as Ilves lost 11 to 12.[5]

### HJK

[edit]

On 13 November 2020, Jair chose to stay in Finland and its first division by agreeing to a two-year contract with the option of another year with HJK.[6] He scored on debut on 6 February 2021, in a 1–1 Finnish Cup draw at Lahti. On 18 June, he scored the 2–1 winner in a Veikkausliiga home fixture against his former team Ilves.

On 13 July 2021, Jair netted his first European goal in a 4–0 away thrashing of Montenegrin side Budućnost in the first qualifying round of the Champions League.[7] After HJK's elimination from the Champions League, on 3 August he scored again in a 2–2 draw at Azerbaijani club Neftçi in the third qualifying round of the Europa League.[8] HJK also missed qualification to the latter competition's group stage after a 2–6 aggregate loss to Fenerbahçe in the play-off round, and Jair went on to amass five games in Group A of the Europa Conference League.

On 16 October 2021, Jair scored his first career double in a 3–2 away Veikkausliiga victory over Ilves. He totalled six goals from 20 league games during his debut season in Helsinki, being named in the Team of the Year as HJK defended its national title.[9] He scored another double on 8 May 2022, in a 2–1 home win also against his former club Ilves in the league.

On 13 June 2022, HJK terminated Jair's deal after Finnish media reported that he had been convicted of child sexual abuse one year earlier.[10]

### Petrolul Ploiești

[edit]

Jair training for Petrolul Ploiești before his Liga I debut against Voluntari, 18 July 2022.

On 17 June 2022, Jair signed a two-year contract with Romanian club Petrolul Ploiești, recently promoted to the Liga I. Petrolul stated that it took note of his conviction in Finland, but considered that his subsequent behaviour should allow him to work and provide for his family.[11] He made his competitive debut on 18 July, coming on as a 72nd-minute substitute for Lucian Dumitriu in a 0–1 home league loss to Voluntari.[12]

On 19 August 2022, Jair netted his first Petrolul goal—and the only of the match—by converting a free kick in an away fixture against FC U Craiova.[13] He played 35 games and scored three goals in all competitions in the 2022–23 campaign, as the team finished eighth overall in the national league.

On 6 August 2023, Jair scored in a 3–2 home Liga I success over defending champion Farul Constanța. On 28 October, he converted a free kick in a 2–2 home league draw with FCSB.[14] In the first match of the calendar year on 20 January 2024, he scored the only goal of a home fixture against Dinamo București.[15]

## Personal life

[edit]

In 2016, Jair was accused by a 12-year-old girl from Oulu, Finland, of kissing her and trying to put her pants down; he was aware of her age, admitted to the kiss, but denied the sexual touching. He received a seven-month suspended sentence for child sexual abuse and paid the victim a €1,500 fine.[16]

## Career statistics

[edit]

### Club

[edit]

As of match played 16 April 2025[17]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition  Club  | Season  | League  | State League  | National Cup  | Continental  | Other  | Total

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals
Ituano | 2015  | —  | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 6[a] | 0 | 7 | 0
2016 | Série D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0
Total  | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0
AC Oulu (loan)  | 2016 | Ykkönen | 25 | 1 | — | 5 | 1 | — | — | 30 | 2
AC Oulu  | 2017 | Ykkönen  | 19 | 3 | — | 6 | 1 | — | — | 25 | 4
2018 | Ykkönen  | 27 | 4 | — | 7 | 1 | — | — | 34 | 5
Total  | 71 | 8 | — | 18 | 3 | — | — | 89 | 11
Ilves | 2019 | Veikkausliiga | 26 | 2 | — | 9 | 1 | — | — | 35 | 3
2020 | Veikkausliiga  | 20 | 3 | — | 5 | 0 | — | — | 25 | 3
Total  | 46 | 5 | — | 14 | 1 | — | — | 60 | 6
HJK | 2021 | Veikkausliiga  | 20 | 6 | — | 3 | 2 | 13[b] | 2 | — | 36 | 10
2022 | Veikkausliiga  | 11 | 2 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3[c] | 0 | 14 | 2
Total  | 31 | 8 | — | 6 | 2 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 53 | 12
Petrolul Ploiești | 2022–23 | Liga I | 34 | 3 | — | 1 | 0 | — | — | 35 | 3
2023–24 | Liga I  | 38 | 7 | — | 2 | 0 | — | — | 40 | 7
Total  | 72 | 10 | — | 3 | 0 | — | — | 75 | 10
Esenler Erokspor | 2024–25 | TFF 1. Lig | 8 | 1 | — | 1 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 1
Mes Rafsanjan | 2024–25 | Iranian Premier League | 4 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0
Career total  | 232 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 6 | 13 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 294 | 40

1. ^ Appearances in Copa Paulista
2. ^ Four appearances and one goal in UEFA Champions League, four appearances and one goal in UEFA Europa League, five appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
3. ^ Appearances in Finnish League Cup

## Honours

[edit]

Ituano[17]

* Copa Paulista runner-up: 2015

Ilves[17]

* Finnish Cup: 2019

HJK[17]

* Veikkausliiga: 2021, 2022
* Finnish Cup runner-up: 2021

### Individual

[edit]

* Veikkausliiga Breakthrough of the Year: 2019
* Veikkausliiga Team of the Year: 2021[9]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "AC Oululle kovia vahvistuksia - Kolme brasilialaispelaajaa liittyy laivastonsinisiin" [Hard reinforcements for AC Oulu - Three Brazilian players join the Navy Blue] (in Finnish). AC Oulu. 17 February 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
2. ^ "Pelaajat äänestivät vuoden parhaat" [The players voted the best of the year] (in Finnish). Jalkapallon Pelaajayhdistys. 3 November 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
3. ^ "Brassitaituri Jairille kaksivuotinen sopimus" [Two-year agreement for Brazilian wizard Jair] (in Finnish). Ilves. November 2018. Archived from the original on 4 August 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
4. ^ "IFK Mariehamn 0–2 Ilves" (in Finnish). Football Association of Finland. 15 June 2019. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
5. ^ "Shamrock Rovers 2–2 Ilves". UEFA. 27 August 2020. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
6. ^ "Jair on Klubin pelaaja!" [Jair is a player of the Club!] (in Finnish). Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi. 13 November 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
7. ^ "Budućnost Podgorica 0–4 HJK". UEFA. 13 July 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
8. ^ "Neftçi 2–2 HJK". UEFA. 3 August 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
9. ^ a b "Perinteinen Koplajoukkue nimetty Veikkausliigakauden 2021 osalta" [The traditional Kopla team named for the Veikkausliiga season 2021] (in Finnish). Veikkausliiga. 31 October 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
10. ^ "Jair Tavares Silvan sopimus on purettu" [Jair Tavares Silva's contract has been terminated] (in Finnish). Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi. 13 June 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
11. ^ "Jair Tavares da Silva a semnat cu FC Petrolul Ploiești" [Jair Tavares da Silva signed with FC Petrolul Ploiești] (in Romanian). FC Petrolul Ploiești. 17 June 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
12. ^ "Petrolul Ploiești - FC Voluntari 0-1. Ploieștenii pierd în primul meci de la revenirea în Liga 1" [Petrolul Ploiești - FC Voluntari 0–1. Ploieștenii lose the first match since their Liga 1 return] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 18 July 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
13. ^ "GALERIE FOTO Jair, gol de generic în FC U Craiova - Petrolul! Execuție splendidă din lovitură liberă" [PHOTO GALLERY Jair, amazing goal in FC U Craiova - Petrolul! Amazing shot from the free kick] (in Romanian). Sport.ro. 19 August 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
14. ^ "Petrolul – FCSB 2-2, în etapa a 14-a din Superliga | Gicu Grozav, eroul ploieștenilor în meciul cu vicecampioana României. A egalat din penalty în minutul 90+7" [Petrolul – FCSB 2–2, in the 14th fixture of the Superliga | Gicu Grozav, the hero of Ploiești in the match against Romania's vice-champion. He equalised from the penalty spot in the 90th+7th minute] (in Romanian). ProSport. 28 October 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
15. ^ "Jair, nemulțumit: "Este foarte greu să joci în condițiile astea" + "Nu vreau să vorbesc despre contract"" [Jair, unhappy: "It's very difficult to play in these conditions" + "I don't want to talk about the contract"]. Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). 20 January 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
16. ^ "HJK:n brassitähdelle tuomio lapsen seksuaalisesta hyväksikäytöstä – uhri oli 12-vuotias" [HJK star convicted of child sexual abuse – The victim was 12 years old] (in Finnish). Iltalehti. 13 June 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
17. ^ a b c d Jair at Soccerway

## External links

[edit]

* Jair – Romanian league stats at LPF (in Romanian)
* Jair at Soccerbase

*[Apps]: League appearances
*[Gls]: League goals