Jo, who played at Manchester City and Everton, scored 18 goals to tie with Fluminense’s Henrique Dourado.
His club Corinthians won the league and had three of the 11 players in the team of the year – the same number as Copa Libertadores champions Gremio.
“We are delighted, we worked hard and we deserved it so this Golden Ball goes to Corinthians fans and my team mates who deserve it as well,” Jo said at a ceremony in Rio de Janeiro.
The Goal of the Season award went to Atletico Mineiro’s Otero for his 50-yard lob against Coritiba.
Jo became on Sunday the top goal-scorer of the Brazilian championship. Jo is in such form that Brazil coach Tite believes he could make the team for the World Cup.
Jo has 18 goals this season, the same as Fluminense forward Henrique Dourado. Brazilian media picked him as the best player of the national championship as his Corinthians team won its seventh title perhaps because some his goals were decisive in derbies against Palmeiras, Sao Paulo, and Santos.
The striker netted only two headers for Corinthians but his role as target man in front of the box created goals for the Sao Paulo-based team.
His experience is also attractive: Jo played in the 2014 World Cup and knows Russia from playing there for four years for CSKA Moscow.
“Tite is watching other alternatives (but) my characteristics can help me,” Jo told The Associated Press last week at Corinthians’ training ground.
“Besides, I am a different person now that I stopped drinking and going out. I became a leader. If I have an opportunity to be in the World Cup again I will not try to do all at once on the pitch like I did as a sub in 2014. I have grown.”
Tite said after the World Cup draw in Russia on Friday that Jo’s strong season made him a recall contender.
“I still have openings; we don’t have a final list. Jo had a great season, other players had great seasons, too. We have to keep watching everyone closely,” Tite said.
Few expected Jo to rediscover his best form.
Corinthians executives still had fresh memories from the day that Jo travelled to Brazil for Christmas despite having a match with Everton shortly after the festivities. Or the day he missed a trip with Internacional because he was drinking and partying until sunrise. Or the day he was suspended by Atletico Mineiro after security personnel accused him of hosting women at the team’s hotel.
Corinthians signed him at no cost at the end of 2016 after the striker had a disappointing season in China. Corinthians’ lack of confidence in Jo’s future was evident by its attempts to sign 39-year-old striker Didier Drogba, who refused the offer.
“I’ve always been a fan of Drogba’s, but I was the one who did what needed to be done here,” Jo said.
Having earned the championship for his boyhood club, he doesn’t feel like leaving. But he doesn’t rule out a return to European leagues.
“I knew there was no alcohol in it, but I would look like a hypocrite if I drank it,” Jo said. “God has given me a lot of wisdom to see the path in front of me. I regret that I didn’t enjoy my opportunities in Europe as much as I should. So I am not running any risk of making those mistakes again.”
João Alves de Assis Silva (born 20 March 1987), known as Jô, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Brazilian club Corinthians.
He has previously played for Corinthians, CSKA Moscow, Manchester City, Everton, Galatasaray, Internacional andAtlético Mineiro. Jô made his full international debut for Brazil in 2007, and was in the squads which took bronze at the 2008 Olympics and won the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, and also played at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
On 31 July 2008, Manchester City signed Jô for an undisclosed value thought to be worth about £19 million, a club record at the time. He scored just one league goal in 4 matches for Manchester City, against Portsmouth, and also scored a brace in the UEFA Cup against Omonia Nicosia. Jô found it difficult to establish himself in the City team and featured in just 6 games at the start of the 2008–09 season.
He returned to Manchester City at the end of the season, but re-joined Everton on a season-long loan for 2009–10, with the option of a permanent move at the end of that period. His first competitive goal in the loan spell was scored against AEK Athens in aEuropa League group game, which Everton went on to win 4–0. After returning to Brazil without permission over the Christmas period, Everton manager David Moyes suspended him for a breach of conduct. After Everton, he returned to Manchester City and was loaned to Galatasaray on the very same day. He scored three goals during his loan spell at Galatasaray.
He returned to Manchester City after his loan spell at Galatasaray expired. Jô scored in his first game back against Portland Timbersand was also successful in further pre-season friendlies against New York Red Bulls, Borussia Dortmund and Valencia CF respectively. He then went on to score in the Europa League win against Salzburg, and in the League Cup loss to West Bromwich Albion, his fourth and fifth goals for the club.
On 21 November 2010 Jô made a rare start for Manchester City in his team’s 4–1 win over Fulham. Jô also featured in Manchester City’s 3–1 win away to West Hambefore Christmas and scored City’s only goal in a 1–1 draw with Juventus in the UEFA Europa League. City won the 2010–11 FA Cup, and despite being left out of the squad for the final, he did contribute five appearances earlier in the cup run.
Sport Club Internacional
On 20 July 2011, following a disappointing spell at Manchester City, only scoring six goals in 41 appearances, Jô decided to return to Brazil and join Sport Club Internacional.
Atlético Mineiro
In May 2012, Jô signed with fellow Brazilian side Atlético Mineiro, where he formed a striking partnership with Ronaldinho. He won the Campeonato Mineiro and helped the club win its first Copa Libertadores title in 2013, scoring in the final game at Mineirão against Olimpia and finishing as the top scorer in the competition with 7 goals. He also played in both games of Atlético’s Recopa Sudamericana win in 2014.
On 4 November 2014, after a string of acts of indiscipline, Jô was reported released from the club by officials. On 10 January 2015, however, he was reinstated to the squad along with Emerson Conceição and André, who had also been suspended, by manager Levir Culpi. On May 3, 2015, after more than 1 year without scoring a single goal, Jô came up as a substitute in the 2015 Campeonato Mineiro final against Caldense and scored the winning goal of the match from an offside position, as Atlético won 2-1 and were crowned champions of the competition for the 43rd time.
In July 2015, Jô signed a deal with Emirati club Al Shabab.
On February 5, 2016, Jô Joined Jiangsu Suning of the Chinese Super League.
Jô signed a three-year deal, on 2 November 2016, to mark his return to his first club Corinthians. Despite of signing for the club in November 2016, he was only permitted to play from 2017 onwards.
In 2017, the Brazilian lived a return full of uncertainties augmented by the media putting pressure on Corinthians that was mocked as being the “fourth force of São Paulo state” and his recent past of exaggerated festivities. However, he answered as a professional player performing many consistent and some delightful matches during 2017’s season. Jô became known as “Rei dos Clássicos” that could be translated as king of derbys, after scoring decisive goals against all of Corinthians regional rivals.
On 15 November 2017, Jô scored two goals as Corinthians beat Fluminense 3–1 and helped his team clinch the league title, and this way, he confirmed his best league season scoring more than 17 goals in Campeonato Brasileiro. Corinthians obtained its seventh trophy in the competition, one of the most disputed leagues in the world; known by its traditional rivalries, fanatic supporters, athletes formation and frequent presence of its teams in Intercontinental Cup and FIFA Club World Cup. A very curious fact that demonstrates Jô’s huge change of conduct was seen after the confirmation of Corinthians 2017 league title when he literally refused a cup of beer on the pitch celebration.
International career
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On 7 June 2013, Jô was called to replace Leandro Damião for 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, who was withdrawn from the original squad due to an injury. In the opening match on 15 June 2013, he scored his first international goal in a 3–0 victory over Japan. He then scored his second goal for Brazil against Mexico on 19 June 2013.
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After signing of Tite for Brazilian team, Jô believes he can be called up again to Seleção. According to him, it only depends on his working for Corinthians, club where he came back to play for in 2017.
