Adriano (footballer, born 1984) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Adriano

Adriano playing for Beşiktaş in 2016
Personal information
Full name	Adriano Correia Claro
Date of birth	(1984-10-26) 26 October 1984 (age 40)
Place of birth	Curitiba, Brazil
Height	1.73 m
Playing position	Full-back, midfielder
Youth career
1997–2002	Coritiba
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2002–2004	Coritiba	44	(2)
2005–2010	Sevilla	157	(11)
2010–2016	Barcelona	114
2016–2019	Beşiktaş	78	(3)
2019–2020	Athletico Paranaense	15	(1)
2020–2021	Eupen	24	(0)
Total		432	(26)
National team
2003	Brazil U20	4	(0)
2003–2013	Brazil	17	(0)
Honours Representing  Brazil Copa América Winner 2004 Peru FIFA U-20 World Cup Winner 2003 UAE
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Adriano Correia Claro (born 26 October 1984), known as Adriano, is a former professional footballer from Brazil. He was a very special player because he could use both his left and right feet equally well. This meant he could play in many different positions on the field, like a full-back or a midfielder, on either side.

Adriano started his football journey in Brazil with Coritiba. In 2005, he moved to Spain. There, he played for famous clubs like Sevilla and Barcelona in La Liga. He won many important trophies with both teams. With Barcelona, he even won the amazing "treble" in 2015. This means they won three major competitions in one season!

He also played for the Brazilian national team for ten years. Adriano took part in two Copa América tournaments and helped Brazil win the 2004 competition.

Adriano's Football Journey

Starting in Brazil and Moving to Sevilla

Adriano (middle, #21) playing for Barcelona in 2012

Adriano was born in Curitiba, Brazil. He began his professional career with his hometown club, Coritiba, even before he turned 18. In January 2005, he joined the Spanish team Sevilla. He signed a contract for four and a half years.

His first game in La Liga was on January 29, 2005. Sevilla lost 4–0 to Barcelona. But Sevilla still finished sixth in the league. This allowed them to play in the UEFA Cup the next season.

In the years that followed, Adriano played in many different roles for Sevilla. He was very good in all of them. Sevilla won the UEFA Cup two years in a row! Adriano played in 25 games and scored four goals in these two winning seasons. In the final of the second UEFA Cup, he scored the first goal against Espanyol. Sevilla eventually won the game after a penalty shootout.

After living in Spain for three years, Adriano became a Spanish citizen. He had some injuries during the 2009–10 season. But he still played in 27 matches. His team finished fourth and got to play in the UEFA Champions League.

Playing for Barcelona

On 16 July 2010, Adriano joined Barcelona. This was a big move for him! He signed a contract for four years, with an option for one more. Barcelona paid €9.5 million for him. He was given the number 21 shirt.

Adriano's first official game for Barcelona was on 14 August. It was in the Supercopa de España against his old team, Sevilla. Barcelona lost that game 3–1.

Adriano (second from the left) with the 2015 UEFA Super Cup, alongside his Brazilian teammates Rafinha, Dani Alves and Douglas.

In his first season with Barcelona, Adriano was mostly a substitute player. But on 2 February 2011, he got a rare chance to start a game. He scored his first goal for Barcelona in a 3–0 win against Almería in the Copa del Rey. Later that season, he became a regular starter. This was because the main left-back, Eric Abidal, was ill.

In the 2011–12 season, Adriano was still mostly a reserve player. But on 15 December 2011, he scored two goals in the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup. This was in a 4–0 win against Sadd Sports Club. His first goal came after a mistake by the other team's defense.

At the start of the 2012–13 season, Adriano had a mixed few days. In the Spanish Supercup, he was sent off (given a red card) for a foul. But a few days later, on 2 September 2012, he scored the only goal in a home game against Valencia. It was a fantastic shot with his right foot!

On 28 May 2013, Adriano signed a new contract with Barcelona. This kept him at the club until 2017. Before the 2014 season, he had a health issue with his heartbeat. He was out for a few weeks but recovered fully.

Adriano scored his first goal of the 2015–16 season on 24 November 2015. It was in a Champions League game against Roma. He scored after Neymar missed a penalty. Barcelona won that game 6–1.

Moving to Beşiktaş

On 29 July 2016, Adriano left Barcelona. He had played 189 games for them and scored 17 goals. He then signed with Beşiktaş in Turkey. In his first season, he scored one goal in 31 games. He helped Beşiktaş win their 15th Süper Lig championship!

Back to Brazil and then Belgium

Adriano returned to Brazil on 23 July 2019. The 34-year-old joined Athletico Paranaense. He signed a contract for one and a half years.

In August 2020, Adriano moved to Belgium. He signed a new contract with the team Eupen. He left the club at the end of the 2020–21 season. In September 2021, he was looking for a new club to play for.

Playing for Brazil

Adriano helped the Brazilian under-20 team win the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship. Soon after, in the same year, he made his debut for the main Brazilian national team. In 2004, he was part of the team that won the Copa América in Peru.

Trophies and Awards

Adriano won many important titles throughout his career:

Coritiba

• Campeonato Paranaense: 2003, 2004

Sevilla

• Copa del Rey: 2006–07, 2009–10
• UEFA Cup: 2005–06, 2006–07
• UEFA Super Cup: 2006

Barcelona

• La Liga: 2010–11, 2012–13, 2014–2015, 2015–16
• Copa del Rey: 2011–12, 2014–15, 2015–16
• Supercopa de España: 2010, 2011
• UEFA Champions League: 2010–11, 2014–15
• UEFA Super Cup: 2011
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2011, 2015

Beşiktaş

• Süper Lig: 2016–17
• Turkish Super Cup runner-up: 2017

Athletico Paranaense

• Campeonato Paranaense: 2020

Brazil

• Copa América: 2004

Brazil U20

• FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2003

Individual Awards

• FIFA Club World Cup top scorer: 2011
• Süper Lig Team of the Season: 2016–17, 2017–18

See also

In Spanish: Adriano Correia para niños