Galatasaray's former star Jo Alves arrested in Brazil

Jo Alves, a Brazilian forward who once played for Galatasaray and Manchester City, was arrested by the police in Rio de Janeiro due to unpaid child support debts.

According to a report from the British press outlet Mirror, the 38-year-old Jo was arrested on Tuesday in Brazil for failing to pay child support, with a debt amounting to £31,500. The police found Jo while he was attending a barbecue party at a street food stall in Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro.

The arrest warrant was issued due to an unpaid child support case from 2024, and the court document mentioned that the total debt was 220,744.57 Brazilian Reais (approximately 1.3 million Turkish Lira). After the arrest, Jo was taken to the 16a DP in Barra da Tijuca.

Jo, who has eight children, had been previously arrested in Campinas and Contagem due to the same issue. In May 2024, he made headlines when he was removed from his team bus by police while traveling with Serie B side Amazonas to their away match against Ponte Preta. He was arrested on the same charge.

Jo made a record £19 million transfer from CSKA Moscow to Manchester City in 2008 but struggled to meet expectations in England. After two loan spells at Everton, he moved to Turkey, where he played for Galatasaray on loan. After returning to Brazil, he finished his football career this year, playing for Itabirito.