He spent most of his professional career in Portugal, amassing Primeira Liga totals of 135 games and 17 goals over the course of eight seasons, almost exclusively with Paços de Ferreira.
In the 2006–07 campaign, Cristiano contributed 26 matches – two goals, one of them in a 1–1 home draw against Sporting CP on 17 February 2007[2]– as Paços finished in sixth position, qualifying for the UEFA Cup for the first time in their history.
[5][6] In the following transfer window, he moved to PAOK FC from Greece on a two-and-a-half-year contract; after only a few games, he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury, being sidelined for about six months.
[7] Cristiano returned to Portugal in late January 2011, joining Sporting as a free agent and reuniting with his former Paços de Ferreira manager Paulo Sérgio.
[8] In June, having made just five competitive appearances, he was released and signed a two-year deal with S.C. Beira-Mar shortly after.