Cipriano (footballer)

João Luiz da Silva Cipriano (born 9 November 2002), known as Cipriano, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Cypriot First Division club APOEL.

Career
Born in Brusque, Santa Catarina, Cipriano joined Fluminense's youth setup in 2019, from Criciúma. Initially on loan, he agreed to a permanent contract with the club on 29 December 2020, signing until 2024.

On 3 February 2023, Cipriano was loaned to Red Bull Bragantino for the year, and was initially assigned to the reserve team. He made his first team – and Série A – debut on 6 August, starting in a 1–0 away win over Coritiba.

Personal life
Cipriano comes from a family of footballers: his father Agenor played professionally in the 1980s and 1990s, being later a head coach of Carlos Renaux, and his older brother Eduardo played in the youth sides of Criciúma.