Former Brazil and Inter Milan striker Adriano, nicknamed “the emperor” in his prime, bid farewell to football on Sunday during a wrap-up match at the Flamengo Stadium, the club where his once promising career began.
The 42-year-old was tipped to be one of the great football players, but eventually succumbed to the pressure of sports fame and alcohol problems.
The match played at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro ended with a 4-3 victory for “Flamengo Legends” over “Friends of Italy”.
The occasion marked Adriano’s official farewell, eight years after his last official match, and was attended by several Brazilian players, including striker Romario and goalkeeper Julio Cesar.
The 48-time player was also accompanied on the pitch by his son Adrianinho and scored goals for both teams.
An emotional Adriano was hugged by all the players as an AI-created message from his deceased father appeared on the screen.
Winner of the Copa America in 2004 and the Confederations Cup the following year, Adriano gradually dropped off the radar at the age of just 22.
However, after being a starter at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, he gradually lost his place in national team and club football, plagued by weight problems and alcohol.
With Inter, Milan won four Serie A titles and the Coppa Italia twice. In his career, which ended in 2016, after a short stay at Miami United, he also played for Italian clubs Roma, Parma and Fiorentina.
Returning to the favela of his childhood in Rio, last month he talked about his problems with alcoholism on the specialist website “The Players’ Tribune”.
“Do you know what it’s like to be ‘hopeful’?” I know it. Including being a disappointed hope. The biggest waste in football: me. I like that word “waste”. I don’t take drugs because they try to tell people I’m not a criminal, but of course I could be… I drink every day,” he wrote. .
