The Brazilian legend Adriano opened during his time in Inter Milan at the tragic death of his father, of which he claimed he left him without 'the head' to keep playing for the club.
Adriano was tipped to become one of the greatest Brazilian attackers of his generation, set to fill in the void when Ronaldo Nazario hung his boots and won 48 caps.
Despite the fact that he was included in the 'Magic Quartet' in the 'Magic Quartet', he was never able to reach the full potential that had been given to him during the 2006 World Cup.
The death of his father had him struggled with depression, and he later admitted that he had fought against alcoholism, with a decrease in form and performances that reflect the tragic loss.
Since then he has revealed why he left Inter, where he would play 177 times and score 74 goals to protect his teammates.
“After my father's death, I no longer had my head to play for Inter,” said the now-43-year-old former striker. 'It is an event that hurt me so much, I chose to return to Brazil because I no longer had my head and so I would have damaged the team and my teammates.
“My father always did everything for my family and he was gone, I stayed and as a man I had to help my family because they needed me.”
After he had become the star of the show with Inter, his career quickly went downhill and went on loan to Brazil with Sao Paulo, for short stints with flamengo, Roma and Corinthians.
Between 2012 and 2016 he would have Stints at Flamengo, Atletico Paranaense and Miami United, but would only manage one competition match in that period before he ended his club career in the United States.
“People don't understand what depression is, I looked the same and everyone, but that wasn't the case,” Adriano went on and gave a heartbreaking insight into what he was going through at the time.
'Everyone has their own way of this thing to go, I had mine. I did what I felt in my heart and head. I don't care what people think, my friends and family were with me with this choice.
'I am very close to Javier Zanetti and Ivan Cordoba, at Inter they welcomed me like a brother, or as a son. Marco Materazzi did the same, he was always with me. They are people who have given me everything to try not to leave Inter. Even today when I hear them, I am very satisfied. '
In December 2024, however, an exhibition match in Brazil saw Adriano saving tears when a message from his beloved Late Father was played on the large screens in the iconic Maracana.
Images showed the former Brazilian star, now 39, bursting into tears and struggled to get up while the tribute took place, walks up and down with his head in his hands, with the game temporarily stopping to play the message.
He played half for both the Flamengo Legends side and the Friends of Italy team, who had gathered during the weekend to mark the official farewell of Adriano's football.
It was a line-up related to something that could prepare a video game; The flamengo side contained legends such as Romario, Edilson, Julio Cesar, Vagner Love, and was managed by iconic former international Zico, the best Brazilian who never had the World Cup.
The Italian side also had its own glittering collection of stars, in Mateo Materazzi, Ivan Cordoba, Dida and David Pizarro – as well as Adriano's son Adrianinho.
The tears had already started prior to the kick-off after his grandmother appeared in the middle circle and then continued when his son scored for the Friends of Italy side.
Colleague interlocutor Zanetti himself described what it was like to hear Adriano discover about the death of his father and told Sports Illustrated in 2017: “He received a phone call from Brazil:” Adri, Dad is dead “.
“I saw him in his room, he threw the phone and started screaming. You couldn't imagine that kind of scream. Since that day [Inter chairman Massimo] Moratti and I watched over him while he was our little brother.
“He continued to play football, score goals and point to the sky that dedicates them to his father. After that phone call, nothing was the same. '
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