1. Overview
Henrique Adriano Buss, commonly known as Henrique, is a Brazilian former professional footballer primarily known for his role as a central defender. Born on October 14, 1986, he embarked on a career that spanned various prominent clubs in Brazil and Europe, including two significant stints with Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras, a brief period with FC Barcelona, and a tenure at S.S.C. Napoli. His versatility allowed him to effectively play not only as a central defender but also as a right back or defensive midfielder. Henrique represented the Brazil national team, making his debut in 2008 and notably being part of the squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup held in his home country. Throughout his career, he achieved several significant club honours, including multiple league and cup titles.
2. Early Life and Youth Career
Henrique Adriano Buss was born on October 14, 1986, in Marechal Cândido Rondon, a municipality in the state of Paraná, Brazil. His foundational years in football were spent developing within the youth system of Coritiba, where he played from 1998 to 2005. This period was crucial for shaping his skills and preparing him for a professional career in the sport.
3. Club Career
Henrique's professional club career was marked by numerous transfers and loan spells across Brazil, Germany, Spain, and Italy, showcasing his adaptability and consistent performance across different leagues and playing styles.
3.1. Coritiba and First Palmeiras Stint
Henrique began his professional career at his home region club, Coritiba. He played for the senior team from 2006 to 2008, making 59 league appearances and scoring 6 goals across the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B and Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. In 2006, he made 29 league appearances and scored 3 goals, with 9 state league appearances and 2 goals, and 3 cup appearances. In 2007, he played 30 league matches, scoring 3 goals, along with 20 state league appearances and 3 goals, and 6 cup appearances scoring 1 goal. In 2008, he played 3 state league matches for Coritiba before moving.
In 2008, Henrique was acquired by Palmeiras. This transfer was partially funded by the Traffic Group, a Brazilian sports marketing company. A portion of Henrique's subsequent transfer fee from Barcelona was attributed to Desportivo Brasil, a subsidiary of Traffic, and later redistributed to Palmeiras. During his initial stint with Palmeiras in 2008, he made 5 league appearances, scoring 1 goal, alongside 6 state league appearances and 4 cup appearances.
3.2. Barcelona and European Loan Spells
In June 2008, there were reports of a bid from Dutch club Ajax for Henrique, shortly followed by news that he had agreed to terms with FC Barcelona. Barcelona ultimately secured Henrique's services from Palmeiras for a fee of 8.00 M EUR, with an additional 2.00 M EUR in bonuses. He signed a five-year contract.
Immediately after joining Barcelona, Henrique was loaned out to German Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen for the 2008-09 season. He made 27 league appearances during his time with Leverkusen and contributed to their run to the final of the 2008-09 DFB-Pokal.
He returned to Barcelona in June 2009 and was assigned the number 23 shirt. However, on August 31, 2009, he was again loaned out, this time to Spanish club Racing de Santander in La Liga. This loan agreement was renewed for a second year on July 26, 2010. During his two seasons with Racing Santander, he made 57 league appearances and scored 3 goals. Barcelona also wrote down 1.76 M EUR for the residual contract value of Henrique for the 2010-11 season.
3.3. Second Palmeiras Stint
On July 15, 2011, Henrique returned to Brazil on another loan deal from Barcelona, joining Palmeiras for a second spell. During the 2012 Copa do Brasil campaign, coach Luiz Felipe Scolari began deploying Henrique in a holding midfielder role, a position in which the player excelled. Palmeiras went on to win the competition that season, a significant achievement for the club.
On June 2, 2012, Barcelona officially cancelled Henrique's contract, releasing him from the club. Following his successful loan spell, he then joined Palmeiras on a permanent free transfer. Palmeiras retained 80% of Henrique's economic rights, with the remaining 20% of any future transfer fee designated for undisclosed parties. During this period, Henrique also became the second captain of the squad, ceding only to dead-ball specialist Marcos Assunção in the team's leadership hierarchy.
From 2011 to 2014, across both his loan and permanent spells, Henrique made 77 league appearances for Palmeiras, scoring 5 goals. He made 21 league appearances and scored 3 goals in 2011, with 2 Copa Sudamericana appearances. In 2012, he had 28 league appearances, 1 goal, 17 state league appearances, 2 goals, 9 cup appearances, 2 goals, and 3 Copa Libertadores appearances. In 2013, he made 28 league appearances, 1 goal, 15 state league appearances, 3 goals, 2 cup appearances, and 6 Copa Sudamericana appearances, scoring 1 goal. In 2014, he had 3 state league appearances.
3.4. Napoli
On January 30, 2014, Henrique officially signed with the Italian Serie A club Napoli. The transfer was finalized for a fee of 4.00 M EUR, with Henrique agreeing to a three-and-a-half-year contract. He quickly made an impact, playing the full 90 minutes in Napoli's 3-1 victory over Fiorentina in the 2014 Coppa Italia Final on May 3. Overall, he made 22 league appearances for Napoli, scoring 1 goal, along with 3 cup appearances and 13 continental appearances (9 in UEFA Champions League and 4 in UEFA Europa League), scoring 1 goal in the latter.
3.5. Later Career in Brazil and Abroad
Following his time at Napoli, Henrique continued his career with various clubs in Brazil and a brief spell abroad. On January 11, 2016, he joined Fluminense on a three-year contract. He played for Fluminense until 2017, making 66 league appearances and scoring 1 goal. During his time there, he also played in 28 state league matches, scoring 2 goals, 15 cup matches, scoring 1 goal, and 4 continental matches.
In 2018, Henrique moved to Corinthians, where he played until 2019. He made 40 league appearances, scoring 2 goals, with 26 state league appearances, 2 goals, 15 cup appearances, 1 goal, and 13 continental appearances.
In 2019, he ventured abroad again to play for Ittihad Kalba in the UAE Pro League, making 11 league appearances and scoring 1 goal, alongside 6 cup appearances. He then played for Belenenses SAD in Portugal during the 2020-21 season, making 25 league appearances and 2 cup appearances.
Henrique later made a third return to his youth club, Coritiba. From 2021 to 2023, he played 50 league matches, scoring 1 goal, and 15 state league matches, scoring 2 goals. He also made 4 cup appearances. This sustained career demonstrates his longevity and commitment to the sport across various leagues.
4. International Career
Henrique's international career with the Brazil national football team began with his first call-up on March 21, 2008. This opportunity arose when centre-back Juan was withdrawn from the squad due to an ankle injury. Henrique made his international debut on June 6, 2008, in a match against the Venezuela national team.
On April 16, 2013, Henrique received another call-up from his former Palmeiras coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari, for a friendly match against Chile scheduled for April 24 at the Mineirão stadium. However, on April 19, he was initially cut from the list because Palmeiras was scheduled to play against Tijuana the following day, and Rodrigo Moledo of Internacional was called up as his replacement. Yet, on the same day, Conmebol rescheduled the Palmeiras game, leading to Henrique's recall to the national squad, though Moledo was also retained on the list.
The pinnacle of Henrique's international career came on May 7, 2014, when he was selected as part of the 23-man Brazil squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup on home soil. His sole appearance in the tournament was during the quarter-final victory against Colombia. He entered the game in the final two minutes, replacing the injured forward Neymar. Brazil ultimately finished fourth in the competition.
5. Playing Style
Henrique's main asset as a professional footballer was his exceptional versatility. While primarily a central defender, he demonstrated a strong capability to perform effectively in multiple positions on the field. He could competently play as a right back, offering defensive solidity and contributing to attacking plays from the flank, and also as a defensive midfielder, where he could break up opponent attacks, distribute the ball, and protect the defense. This adaptability made him a valuable asset to every team he played for, allowing coaches tactical flexibility.
6. Career Statistics
6.1. Club Statistics
| Club | Season | League | State League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Coritiba | 2006 | Série B | 29 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 41 | 5 | ||
| 2007 | 30 | 3 | 20 | 3 | 6 | 1 | - | - | 56 | 7 | ||||
| 2008 | Série A | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 3 | 0 | |||
| Total | 59 | 6 | 32 | 5 | 9 | 1 | - | - | 100 | 12 | ||||
| Palmeiras | 2008 | Série A | 5 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 15 | 1 | |
| Bayer Leverkusen | 2008-09 | Bundesliga | 27 | 0 | - | 4 | 0 | - | - | 31 | 0 | |||
| Racing Santander | 2009-10 | La Liga | 22 | 1 | - | 4 | 1 | - | - | 26 | 2 | |||
| 2010-11 | 35 | 2 | - | 2 | 0 | - | - | 37 | 2 | |||||
| Total | 57 | 3 | - | 6 | 1 | - | - | 63 | 4 | |||||
| Palmeiras | 2011 | Série A | 21 | 3 | - | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 23 | 3 | ||
| 2012 | 28 | 1 | 17 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 0 | - | 57 | 5 | |||
| 2013 | Série B | 28 | 1 | 15 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | - | 51 | 5 | ||
| 2014 | Série A | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 3 | 0 | |||
| Total | 77 | 5 | 35 | 5 | 11 | 2 | 11 | 1 | - | 134 | 13 | |||
| Napoli | 2013-14 | Serie A | 11 | 1 | - | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | 17 | 1 | ||
| 2014-15 | 11 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 1 | |||
| 2015-16 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 22 | 1 | - | 3 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 2 | |||
| Fluminense | 2016 | Série A | 37 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 61 | 1 |
| 2017 | 29 | 1 | 15 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 0 | - | 56 | 3 | |||
| Total | 66 | 1 | 28 | 2 | 15 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 117 | 4 | ||
| Corinthians | 2018 | Série A | 35 | 2 | 12 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 | - | 63 | 3 | |
| 2019 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 0 | - | 31 | 2 | |||
| Total | 40 | 2 | 26 | 2 | 15 | 1 | 13 | 0 | - | 94 | 5 | |||
| Ittihad Kalba | 2019-20 | UAE Pro League | 11 | 1 | - | 6 | 0 | - | - | 17 | 1 | |||
| Belenenses SAD | 2020-21 | Primeira Liga | 25 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | - | - | 27 | 0 | |||
| Coritiba | 2021 | Série B | 32 | 1 | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | 32 | 1 | |||
| 2022 | Série A | 18 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 0 | - | - | 32 | 2 | |||
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 5 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 50 | 1 | 15 | 2 | 4 | 0 | - | - | 69 | 3 | ||||
| Career total | 439 | 21 | 142 | 16 | 79 | 6 | 41 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 705 | 45 | ||
6.2. International Statistics
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 2008 | 1 | 0 |
| 2013 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 6 | 0 | |
7. Honours
Henrique achieved numerous significant team titles throughout his career, primarily with Brazilian clubs, alongside a few international cup victories in Europe.
7.1. Club Honours
- Coritiba
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série B: 2007
- Campeonato Paranaense: 2022
- Palmeiras
- Campeonato Paulista: 2008
- Copa do Brasil: 2012
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série B: 2013
- Napoli
- Coppa Italia: 2013-14
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2014
- Corinthians
- Campeonato Paulista: 2018, 2019
7.2. Individual Honours
- Campeonato Carioca Team of the Year: 2017