Adriano Correia Claro (born 26 October 1984), simply Adriano, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for FC Barcelona in La Liga.
One of few players in professional football who is genuinely ambidextrous, he is capable of playing as a defender or midfielder, on both sides of the pitch.
Born in Curitiba, Paraná, Adriano started professionally for his hometown club, Coritiba Foot Ball Club, making his first team debuts at not yet 18. In January 2005, he joined Sevilla FC in a four 1/2-year deal, his La Liga debut arriving on the 29th, a 0–4 home loss against eventual champions FC Barcelona. The Andalusians, however, did finish sixth and qualified for the UEFA Cup. In the following seasons, Adriano continued to feature in several positions for Sevilla with equal success, as it won back-to-back UEFA Cups, with the player contributing with 25 matches and four goals in both editions combined. In the final of the latter edition, he opened the score against RCD Espanyol, in an eventual penalty shootout win; previously, in late September 2006, he had added a further five years to his link. After three years residing in the country, he was granted Spanish citizenship.
Adriano struggled with some injuries during the 2009–10 season, but still contributed with 27 games (no goals) as Sevilla finished fourth and returned to the UEFA Champions League.
On 16 July 2010, Adriano signed a 4+1 deal with Barcelona, for €9.5 million plus a conditional fee of €4 million; it also included a buyout clause of €90 million. He was awarded the No.21 shirt vacated by Ukrainian Dmytro Chygrynskiy, departed after just one season. He made his debut in a pre-season friendly against Vålerenga Fotball, coming on in the second half; on 14 August, he first appeared officially, in the first leg of the season's domestic Supercup, a 1–3 loss at former side Sevilla.
Adriano spent the vast majority of his first season with Barça as a substitute. On 2 February 2011, in a rare start, he scored his first goal for the Catalans, netting in a 3–0 semifinal win at UD Almería for the season's Copa del Rey (8–0 on aggregate).
One of few players in professional football who is genuinely ambidextrous, he is capable of playing as a defender or midfielder, on both sides of the pitch.
Born in Curitiba, Paraná, Adriano started professionally for his hometown club, Coritiba Foot Ball Club, making his first team debuts at not yet 18. In January 2005, he joined Sevilla FC in a four 1/2-year deal, his La Liga debut arriving on the 29th, a 0–4 home loss against eventual champions FC Barcelona. The Andalusians, however, did finish sixth and qualified for the UEFA Cup. In the following seasons, Adriano continued to feature in several positions for Sevilla with equal success, as it won back-to-back UEFA Cups, with the player contributing with 25 matches and four goals in both editions combined. In the final of the latter edition, he opened the score against RCD Espanyol, in an eventual penalty shootout win; previously, in late September 2006, he had added a further five years to his link. After three years residing in the country, he was granted Spanish citizenship.
Adriano struggled with some injuries during the 2009–10 season, but still contributed with 27 games (no goals) as Sevilla finished fourth and returned to the UEFA Champions League.
On 16 July 2010, Adriano signed a 4+1 deal with Barcelona, for €9.5 million plus a conditional fee of €4 million; it also included a buyout clause of €90 million. He was awarded the No.21 shirt vacated by Ukrainian Dmytro Chygrynskiy, departed after just one season. He made his debut in a pre-season friendly against Vålerenga Fotball, coming on in the second half; on 14 August, he first appeared officially, in the first leg of the season's domestic Supercup, a 1–3 loss at former side Sevilla.
Adriano spent the vast majority of his first season with Barça as a substitute. On 2 February 2011, in a rare start, he scored his first goal for the Catalans, netting in a 3–0 semifinal win at UD Almería for the season's Copa del Rey (8–0 on aggregate).
In 2011–12, Adriano was again mostly a reserve for the Josep Guardiola-led side. On 15 December 2011, however, in the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup, he scored the first two goals in a 4–0 semifinal win against Sadd Sports Club, profiting from a mistake in the Qatari team's defense to open the score in the 25th minute.
