1. Early life and background
João Carlos Pinto Chaves was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on January 1, 1982. He stands at 74 in (189 cm) tall and weighs 176 lb (80 kg).
2. Club career
João Carlos had a distinguished professional career, playing across multiple countries and clubs throughout two decades.
2.1. Early career in Brazil and Bulgaria
João Carlos began his professional football journey in Brazil with Vasco da Gama in 2001. After his initial stint in Brazil, he moved to Europe, joining the Bulgarian powerhouse CSKA Sofia in 2002. He played there until 2004, where his strong performances garnered significant attention from clubs in Western Europe.
2.2. Success in Belgium
In July 2004, João Carlos transferred to Belgian club Sporting Lokeren, where he played for four successful seasons until June 2008. His impactful play in Belgium led to a move to KRC Genk in June 2008, where he signed a four-year contract. At Genk, he became a key figure, serving as captain and playing an instrumental role in the team's victory in the 2008-09 Belgian Cup.
2.3. Stint in Russia
In January 2011, João Carlos attracted interest from multiple clubs in the Russian Premier League, including Anzhi Makhachkala and Kuban Krasnodar. On January 29, 2011, he officially completed his transfer to Anzhi Makhachkala, signing a three-year contract. He remained with Anzhi until 2013 before moving to Spartak Moscow, where he played from 2013 to 2015.

2.4. Later career and retirement
Following his time in Russia, João Carlos returned to Brazil for a brief period, rejoining CR Vasco da Gama in 2015. In 2016, he made another return to Belgium, playing again for Sporting Lokeren. His career then took him to the United Arab Emirates, where he played for Al-Jazira Club from 2016 to 2017. He concluded his professional football career in Brazil, playing for Madureira EC in 2018 before retiring.
3. Honours
João Carlos achieved several notable team titles and individual accolades throughout his professional career.
- PFC CSKA Sofia
- A Group: 2002-03
- KRC Genk
- Belgian Cup: 2008-09
4. External links
- [https://www.zerozero.pt/player.php?id=33908&epoca_id=141 João Carlos at ZeroZero]
- [http://www.vi.nl/Spelers/Speler.htm?dbid=48210&typeofpage=84137 Profile at Voetbal International]
- [http://spartak.com/main/news/43628/ "Spartak" and "Anzhi" reached a principal agreement on the transfer of João Carlos] СПАРТАК" И "АНЖИ" ДОСТИГЛИ ПРИНЦИПИАЛЬНОГО СОГЛАШЕНИЯ О ПЕРЕХОДЕ ЖОАО КАРЛОСАRussian
- [http://www.championat.com/football/news-2148363-zashhitnik-spartaka-zhoao-karlos-ja-otkryt-dlja-ljubykh-predlozhenij.html Spartak defender João Carlos: I am open to any offers] Защитник "Спартака" Жоао Карлос: я открыт для любых предложенийRussian