Ciro Henrique Alves Ferreira e Silva (born 18 April 1989), commonly known as Ciro Alves or simply Ciro, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Liga 1 club Persib Bandung.
Club career
Sport Recife
Ciro started his career in Sport Recife with a lot of promise. In 2008, Ciro played a few matches for the main team, scoring four goals (one against Ipatinga, one against Vasco and two against Atlético Mineiro) in eight games, three as a starter. In 2009, he started the year as a starter, scoring seven goals in ten matches in the Campeonato Pernambucano. He also played in the 2009 Copa Libertadores, the most prestigious club tournament in South America, in which he a goal and an assist in a match against Colo-Colo at the latter's base in Santiago, Chile. Legendary Pele, commented after seeing the young Brazilian play, stating that Ciro would be one of the best players in the world within the next five years.
Difficult years
Pele's prophecy did not come true. On 20 May 2011, Ciro left Recife and signed a two-year loan deal with Brazilian Série A side Fluminense in an attempt to pursue national recognition in Brazil. After playing more than a dozen games, he could not secure a solid spot on the roster in the famed club. He faced the same fate in the subsequent Brazilian clubs that he joined, leading to a decision to find opportunities in Asia. On 22 July 2015, he joined Korean club Jeju United but the experiment also failed after a few months. Afterward, he went through several Brazilian teams without making a lasting mark.
Chonburi F.C. At the age of 28 in 2018, when his promising talent was unfulfilled, Ciro gave Asia a second try with a move to top-flight Thailand club Chonburi, which resurrected his career. He played in 31 matches, a lot more playing time than in any other of his post-Recife clubs, and scored five goals.
Indonesia
His success in Thailand attracted offers from Indonesia, including the army-owned Persikabo 1973 where he played for three years - the longest spell after his promising start with Recife. He scored 35 goals in 67 matches for Persikabo, proving that he was a prolific striker who can carry his team. His performance led Persib Bandung, the club with the largest fanbase in Liga 1, to secure his service for the 2022-23 season of Liga 1 and the club's participation in the 2023 AFC Cup.
International career
Ciro was a member of the Brazil national under-20 football team in 2009 when he played in the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup, in which Brazil came second.