Adriano Leite Ribeiro popularly known as the Emperor is a prolific striker who plays for the Brazil national team, he was one of the best strikers that made waves in the round leather game in the mid-2000s, very strong with the ball with great speed, lovers of Pro Evolution Soccer 6 can never forget him with his left foot long-range shot, his 99 shot power made him everyone choice.
Born in Rio de Janeiro, and started his football career with Flamengo in 1997. As a teenager, Adriano was integrated into Flamengo senior team rapidly with his brilliant display in the junior team and played his first game for Brazil national team at age 18, he was able to manage 10 goals in 24 appearances for Flamengo before drawing the attention of Inter Milan.
Adriano left Flamengo for Inter Milan in 2001 before joining Parma where he scored 30 goals in 37 matches between the period 2002-2004, he rejoined Inter Milan in 2004 on a 4½ deal where he scored a total of 74 goals, despite having a decline in his career, he won six league titles and a Copa America trophy with Brazil in 2004 where he also bagged the Golden Boot award with 7 goals in the competition.
At age 22, Adriano was tipped by Brazil manager Carlos Parreira to become successful in his football career, according to the manager, believes the prolific striker will still participate in three World Cup competitions with Brazil. Adriano put Brazil back in the game against Argentina before the team went on to defeat Argentina in a penalty shootout.
After winning the Coppa America title with Brazil, Adriano dedicated the victory to his Dad, and 9 days after, he got a call that his Dad is dead and that marked a decline in his career as he had to battle with depression and alcohol. According to him in an interview back in 2017, Adriano said the only way he could sleep is to drink alcohol.
Inter Milan manager Roberto Mancini and his teammates understand what he was going through and we're very supportive, he was later loan to São Paulo in 2008 before returning to Flamengo in 2009. Since losing his father, Adriano always points to the sky whenever he hit the net and dedicating his goals to his late Dad. Despite the depression he was battling with, he keeps scoring goals as he was instrumental in Brazil's triumph in the 2005 Confederation Cup, he also formed a great partnership with Mama, Ronaldo, and Ronaldinho in the 2006 World Cup.
Adriano problem became unbearable in the 2006/2007 season has he continue to go from one nightclub to another before football matches which make his national team manager Dunga to dropped him from his squad, aside from Dunga dropping him from the squad, Mancini also dropped him for a champions league match after failing to appear in a team meeting due to hangover from a birthday party. Adriano failed to become one of football all-time great because he couldn't manage his problem off-pitch rightly.
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