RIO DE JANEIRO: Former Brazil and Inter Milan striker Adriano, nicknamed the ‘Emperor’ in his prime, bid farewell to football on Sunday in a testimonial match at the home of Flamengo, the club where his once promising career started.
The 42-year-old had been tipped to become one of the football greats, but eventually succumbed to the pressures of sporting fame and alcohol problems.
The testimonial, played at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, ended with a 4-3 victory for the ‘Flamengo Legends’ against ‘Friends of Italy’.
The occasion allowed Adriano to formally say goodbye, eight years after his last official match, and featured several Brazil greats including striker Romario and goalkeeper Julio Cesar.
The 48-times capped player was also accompanied on the pitch by his son Adrianinho, and scored goals for both teams.
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An emotional Adriano was hugged by all the players when the screen showed a message created by artificial intelligence from his deceased father.
Winner of the Copa America in 2004 and the Confederations Cup the following year, at barely 22 years old, Adriano gradually disappeared from the radar.
But after being a starter at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, he gradually lost his place in the national team and club football, plagued by weight and alcohol problems.
He won four Serie A titles with Inter Milan and the Italian Cup trophy twice. He also played for Italian clubs Roma, Parma and Fiorentina during his career which finished in 2016 after a brief stint with Miami United.
Returning to live in the favela of his childhood, in Rio, he spoke about his problems with alcoholism last month on the specialised site “The Players’ Tribune”.
“Do you know what it’s like to be a ‘hope’? I know it. Including being a disappointed hope. The biggest waste in football: Me. I like that word ‘waste’… I don’t do drugs, as they try to make people believe, I am not a criminal but, of course, I could have been… I drink every day,” he wrote.
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