Former Manchester City striker Jo has been detained in Brazil after authorities executed a court order connected to outstanding child support payments.
Police confirmed that the former Brazil international, whose full name is Joao Alves de Assis Silva, was taken into custody on 18 November in Rio de Janeiro.
Officers located the 37-year-old while he was attending a barbecue at a street food kiosk in the coastal district of Barra da Tijuca.
The arrest relates to a debt linked to child maintenance, with court documents stating that Jo had repeatedly failed to meet payments set by a family court.
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The sum owed is listed as 220,744.57 Brazilian reals, which is around the region of £31,500.
His case was triggered by a warrant first filed in the Brazilian state of Bahia, and authorities say the order remained active despite attempts by Jo’s legal team to challenge the ruling.
Once detained, the former forward was taken to a nearby police station for processing.
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Local reporters in Rio have claimed that this is not the first time the former footballer has been detained in relation to financial disputes involving child maintenance.
Previous incidents, including an arrest last year following a stop on his team’s bus, have drawn widespread attention in the Brazilian media.
The case concerns a child born following Jo’s relationship with social media influencer Maiara Quiderolly.
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The two share parental responsibilities, and the dispute centres on payments linked to their son, Joao Gabriel. Reports in Brazil say that the pair’s relationship ended after she became pregnant.
Jo had been married at the time, a matter that has been widely discussed by celebrity and sports outlets in the country.
As with all legal disputes involving minors, details surrounding the order are being handled through family court procedures, and local outlets have stressed that elements of the case remain legally sensitive.
Shortly after this current arrest, Jo’s lawyer, Artur Eugênio Matias, spoke to reporters to insist that steps were being taken to resolve the matter.
He suggested that the debt had already been paid, stating: “There was an arrest warrant issued in a city in the state of Bahia, for a reasonably small debt.
“According to the lawyer handling the case, the debt has been paid.
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“Tomorrow this debt, without any doubt, will be paid, and we hope that he will be released.”
Officials have not yet confirmed whether the sum has been settled in full.
The former striker, who last played for fourth-tier Brazilian club Itabirito, has had a career that spanned some of the world’s most prominent football leagues.
He first rose to international recognition during spells at Corinthians and CSKA Moscow, leading to a move to Manchester City in 2008.
During two Premier League seasons, he played for both City and Everton, and returned to South America for a highly successful period at Atlético Mineiro.
He earned 20 caps for Brazil, scoring five times, and was selected for the 2014 World Cup, appearing in the squad that endured a historic 7-1 defeat to Germany in the semi-final.