Highlights

  • Adriano, a Brazilian legend, had a short-lived career due to his father's tragic death, leading to alcohol problems and depression.
  • Inter Milan players, like Javier Zanetti, tried but failed to help Adriano overcome his mental struggles post-tragedy.
  • Now living a different life, Adriano was recently welcomed back by Inter Milan at the San Siro, evoking emotional memories.

Adriano is a Brazilian legend. The striker may not be the best talent to emerge from the football-mad South American country of his generation, with the likes of Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos forming one of the most feared international sides in history in the mid-2000s.

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.

And let's not forget his devastatingly powerful left foot - made even more famous by the popular Pro Evolution Soccer video game - and Adriano became a household name. In the early 2000s, he found himself at Inter Milan and appeared destined for greatness. However, events off the pitch ultimately prevented the forward from reaching his full potential - and Adriano's tale became a sad one very soon after one particularly tragic event.

The tragedy that derailed Adriano's career

Death of his father changed everything

The untimely death of his father, who was just 44, from a heart attack in 2004 changed everything. Adriano subsequently struggled with alcohol problems and depression as his life 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 in the process.

After hanging up his boots, Adriano could still 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, yes, but it could - and perhaps, should - have been so much more.

Adriano during his days with Inter Milan

How Adriano's father's death impacted his career

'I have a hole in my ankle, and one in my soul'

In a moving article for the Players' Tribune, Adriano described how his father's death when he was 22 years old 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.

Going into further detail, the ex-Brazil forward continued: "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."

Perhaps the most heartbreaking part of that Adriano article came with his response to the question: “Man, what happened to Adriano?” The iconic footballer's response was:

"Brother, it’s simple. I have a hole in my ankle, and one in my soul."

Inter Milan players were unable to help their teammate

Javier Zanetti revealed his regrets

Javier Zanetti and Adriano celebrate an Inter Milan goal

Long-serving Inter Milan hero, Javier Zanetti, spoke of the struggles his former teammate faced in the aftermath of his father's tragic passing. The Argentine shared his experience of seeing his colleague's angst. Per Sports Illustrated, Zanetti claimed:

"We did not succeed in pulling him out of depression. And that is perhaps my biggest defeat of a whole career. It still hurts me, I was so powerless."

To hear a model professional like Zanetti describe his failure to help Adriano as the "biggest defeat" of his career speaks volumes about the sheer amount of mental pain Adriano was going through at the time.

Adriano is now living a very different life

It is now two decades on from his father's death

Brazil's Adriano applauding

Adriano is now 42 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 was, at one point, 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 suggested Adriano still liked the occasional party, although they're considerable tamer and less frequent than they once were.

In 2021, 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 in April 2022. 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."

In 2023, Adriano was scheduled to be a pundit for Inter Milan's Champions League final against Manchester City, but the Brazilian did not show. This was reportedly due to a series of parties Adriano attended in Brazil before he was said to 'disappear' and miss his flight to Istanbul. This suggests the 42-year-old hasn't quite escaped his demons, but everyone is no doubt wishing the absolute best for a player who brought joy to so many.

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Zlatan Ibrahimovic's tribute to 'a pure animal'

The pair were teammates at Inter Milan

Zlatan Ibrahimovic sitting in the San Siro dugout

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 at Inter Milan, the great Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Swede was full of praise for his former colleague while speaking at the launch of his game called 'Zlatan Legends'.

"I played with great champions," Zlatan said, per 90min. "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," continued the former Inter Milan hero. Ibrahimovic would go on to add:

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

Being one of the top strikers of his generation, the former Inter Milan, AC Milan, Manchester United and Barcelona forward knows a thing or two about what it takes to be a top level attacker in football. This makes Zlatan's praise all the more flattering and meaningful for Adriano.

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