Sergio Luis Donizetti, best known as Joao Paulo (born in Campinas, September 7, 1964) is a Brazilian footballer striker.
He joined Bari in 1989, and has formed a fearsome striking partnership with Pietro Maiellaro and later with Romanian Florin Raducioiu. After scoring six goals in 33 Serie A matches in the 1989-1990 season, he would score 12 times in the 1990-1991 season, the most memorable of which was a double against A.C. Milan on the penultimate round of the season, thus sealing the title for Sampdoria, which won its first ever (and so far the only) Serie A title in club history.
He started the following season brightly and was on his usually excellent form. But in their third match at home to, ironically, Sampdoria in torrential rain, his leg was broken by defender Marco Lanna which ended his season. What's more ironic is the fact that Lanna would also damage the ankle of David Platt in a match between the two teams the very next season.
It took him an entire year to recover and he stayed on with Bari after its relegation to Serie B for two more seasons until 1994.
He has also played for the Brazil national team, scoring twice (one goal apiece against Uruguay and Argentina) in the Copa America in 1991.
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