Called the Emperor, he was one of the most dominant strikers of his time.
The Brazilian Adriano shone in Parma, Inter, was Brazil's first goalscorer.
But he never showed his full potential.
He was hit hard by the death of his father in 2005. He began to decline, instead of football he surrendered to alcohol and vices.
He tried to come back. It seemed like he was on the right track, but in 2011 he knew it was over.
"When I tore my Achilles in 2011, I knew that my career was over. You can have surgery, rehab, but you can never be the same again. My explosiveness is gone, my balance is gone. I'm still limping because of it. I still have a hole in the article," said Adriano in a confession to "The Player's Tribune".
"Everything was the same as when my father died, except that the scar was inside me. Many people ask, what happened to Adrian? It's simple. I have one hole and wound in my ankle, and another in my soul," said the great attacker.
He was still trying to come back. But he couldn't - he returned to Brazil, had episodes in Flamengo, Corinthians... Alcohol was his only "love".
"I was depressed from 2005 to 2009. My father's death left a big void in my soul. Drinking was the only thing that made me happy. Whiskey, wine, vodka, beer... Lots of beer," he said. Adriano.
"I got drunk in training. I often sobered up in the hospital, while people at the club told the press that I was there because I had a problem with pulled muscles. Inter treated me in an incredible way, they did absolutely everything to make me better."
"I wasn't allowed to sleep, I was afraid that I would dream of my father, that I would have nightmares, alcohol and drugs kept me awake and with them I ran away from my fears. I was lost. I only thought about women and having fun", he is honest Adriano.
"People say I'm crazy for missing out on so many millions, but that never made me happy. I'm a favela guy, poor, I could have been one of the best, but I didn't feel like it. Fate, what is it. Now I'm calm, peaceful and happy. That's the most important thing," he concluded.
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