A former Premier League star has been arrested over unpaid child maintenance after his model mistress accused him of being a "s*** father" to their son
Neil Docking
09:51, 19 Nov 2025
Jo was a disastrous club record signing for Manchester City
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Jo was a disastrous club record signing for Manchester City(Image: Getty Images)
Manchester City flop Jo has been arrested after a court order was made over £31,500 of unpaid child maintenance amid a bitter row with his ex-mistress.
Police detained Jo, 38, whose full name is Joao Alves de Assis Silva, at a barbecue at a street food kiosk in Barra da Tijuca, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, after officers tracked him down on November 18. The warrant was linked to a 2024 process involving the former Everton and Brazil star's unpaid child maintenance.
The debt stated in the order was BRL 220,744.57 and police took the ex-Premier League striker - a disastrous former club record signing for City - to the 16a DP in Barra da Tijuca after carrying out the arrest. It has not been confirmed whether this latest debt relates to his lover Maiara Quiderolly, with whom he cheated on wife Claudia Silva, and had a love child, Joao Gabriel.
But she was quick to comment on reports of his arrest in 2024. Speaking in an Instagram video, she said: "Chose a s*** father for my son.
"I can't receive the pension correctly, when he pays on the right day, he pays in different amounts, so I can't receive it correctly. The only thing set by law, he doesn't do correctly! It's always torture to get things, and always I'm considered wrong."
Ex-Premier League striker Jo's former lover Maiara Quiderolly
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Ex-Premier League striker Jo's former lover Maiara Quiderolly(Image: Newsflash)
Reports said this was his fourth arrest over unpaid child maintenance. In 2024, he had been detained twice in Campinas and Contagem for the same issue. He had previously been freed after paying the sums demanded by the courts.
Jo was detained in May 2024 when he was reportedly hauled off his team bus while playing for previous club Amazonas. Cops waited for the striker to arrive with his team-mates just moments before a match against Ponte Preta in Sao Paulo.
He was accused of not paying child support for his model ex, who was pictured with their baby boy. In that instance his lawyer said a "reasonably small" debt had been paid.
At that time, Maiara commented under a social media post reporting the news of his arrest, according to Brazilian news outlet Extra. She wrote: "One day for the hunt, another for the hunter."
Maiara Quiderolly poses with her son in an undated photo
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Maiara Quiderolly poses with her son(Image: Newsflash)
Model Maiara Quiderolly, the ex-lover of former Brazil star Jo
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Model Maiara Quiderolly, the ex-lover of former Brazil star Jo(Image: Newsflash)
Jo has eight children, two with his current wife, and six outside his marriage. Earlier in 2024, Maiara opened up about the player's absence in their son's life, claiming the forward missed his first birthday party.
Talking about the difficulties of being a single mum, she claimed her son was aware his dad was not around and that his "pension" was overdue.
Maiara said: "I think the biggest difficulty is yet to come, which is when you start asking me questions. For now, none!
"Better this way than a bad example of a father next door. How many children suffer more from the little absence than from the nothing!
Maiara Quiderolly has accused Jo of not paying child maintenance for their son
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Maiara Quiderolly has accused Jo of not paying child maintenance for their son(Image: Newsflash)
"My son is SURE that his father is not present, some are hoping if he will arrive, if he will call, anyway…"
According to Extra, the striker, who began his career with Corinthians and scored five times for Brazil in 20 appearances, underwent a DNA test at the end of 2023 to verify his paternity, which gave a positive result.
Maiara's pregnancy was revealed in June 2022. That led to a rift in Jo's marriage, with his wife initially disputing he was the dad, but later admitting the child came from his infidelity.
The couple announced they were splitting, but reunited around four months later.
Jo ended his career playing back in Brazil
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Jo ended his career playing back in Brazil(Image: Newsflash)
Jo's form for Corinthians at the start of his career earned him a move to CSKA Moscow in 2005, where he won the Russian Premier League and the UEFA Cup. He scored 44 times in 77 appearances for CSKA.
That led to a then club record £19m transfer to City in 2008, but he was he a massive flop, scoring just six times in 42 games, before he was shipped off to Everton on loan in February 2009.
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He scored five goals in 12 appearances, earning him a second season at Goodison Park. But that year he managed only two goals in 24 games.
There was another loan spell with Galatasaray in Turkey before he headed back to Brazil for stints with Internacional and Atletico Mineiro, ahead of lucrative moves to Al Shabab in Dubai, Jiangsu Suning in China, Nagoya Grampus in Japan, and two more periods at Corinthians.