Adriano: Where is the Brazil and Inter Milan legend now? | OneFootball

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·28 September 2022

Adriano: Where is the Brazil and Inter Milan legend now?

Article image:Adriano: Where is the Brazil and Inter Milan legend now?

Adriano is a Brazilian legend.

The striker may not be the best talent to emerge from the South American country of his generation with the likes of Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos forming one of the greatest international sides in history.


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But Adriano is just as iconic as the aforementioned trio.

The striker earned 48 caps for his country, scoring 27 goals.

And, at one stage of his career, he was one of the most exciting talents in world football.

Add to that the fact his powerful left foot was made famous by the Pro Evolution Soccer video game and Adriano became a household name.

In the early 2000s, he found himself at Inter Milan and seemed destined for greatness.

Article image:Adriano: Where is the Brazil and Inter Milan legend now?

The death of Adriano’s father changed everything

But the death of his father in 2004 changed everything.

He then struggled with alcohol problems and depression as his career spiralled out of control.

He was loaned out to Sao Paulo in his native country in an attempt to get his career back on track. But he eventually retired in May 2016, failing to fulfil his incredible potential.

After hanging up his boots, Adriano could boast 14 major honours, including the 2004 Copa America and four Serie A titles. He also finished in the top seven of the Ballon d’Or twice.

A fantastic career but it could have been so much more.

Article image:Adriano: Where is the Brazil and Inter Milan legend now?

How Adriano’s father’s death impacted his career

In a moving article for the Players’ Tribune, Adriano explained how his father’s death when he was just 22 effectively ended his career.

“After that day, my love for football was never the same,” Adriano explained of the day he got that awful phone call while in Milan.

“He loved the game, so I loved the game. It was that simple. It was my destiny. When I played football, I played for my family. When I scored, I scored for my family.

“So when my father died, football was never the same.

“I was across the ocean in Italy, away from my family, and I just couldn’t cope with it. I got so depressed, man. I started drinking a lot. I didn’t really want to train. It had nothing to do with Inter. I just wanted to go home.”

Article image:Adriano: Where is the Brazil and Inter Milan legend now?

Adriano is now living a very different life

Adriano is now 40 years old and is living a very different life.

Per The Sun, he sold his £1.2 million mansion and left behind all his possessions except his trophies.

It was reported that he was living in the presidential suite of a luxury hotel in the upmarket neighbourhood of Barra da Tijuca Rio de Janeiro, with the room costing him £10,383 a month. It’s also claimed he’s been dating two women at once.

According to FourFourTwo, he was seen riding around on a scooter in Rio, handing out free Big Mac meals to kids.

The same report also suggests Adriano still has the occasional party although they’re a lot tamer and less frequent than they once were.

Last year, Adriano found out about his induction into the Maracana Stadium Walk of Fame and images went viral of him reacting emotionally when he found out.

He was also overcome with emotion when he was welcomed back to Inter Milan at the San Siro towards the end of last season.

Speaking to Inter TV before the match, Adriano stated: “I’d like to thank everyone for the warm welcome back. I’m delighted to be here again.

“I feel emotional because being at San Siro is such a great experience; I’ve got so many memories of this stadium and having spent many years at the club it’s a real pleasure to be here again.

“When I came into the ground so many thoughts came to mind, memories of what I’d achieved at Inter as a footballer and how it all shaped me as a person. The reception I’ve been given here has been lovely; I really appreciate it.”

Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s tribute to ‘a pure animal’

While Adriano didn’t quite achieve what he was destined to during his football career, he will always be remembered by football fans and former teammates.

Including one of his ex-strike partners, Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

“I played with great champions,” Zlatan said. “I played with players that were already…wow. I played with players that I saw were a talent and became…wow, but the one I felt could do it longer, and he didn’t do it, was Adriano when I was at Inter.

“He could shoot from every angle, nobody could tackle him, nobody could take the ball, he was a pure animal.”

Article image:Adriano: Where is the Brazil and Inter Milan legend now?
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