Just a few hours after Inter Milan announced that Adriano’s contract with the club had been terminated by mutual consent, agent Gilmar Rinaldi hinted that playing in Europe still is a possibility for the Brazilian striker.
“He still thinks about Europe, but Italy is out of the picture, at least for now. There has been a lot of stress there, including some strained relationships with the press. He has played for Inter Milan for eight years,” said Rinaldi.
Regarding the near future, Adriano, according to the local press, might be heading towards a return to Flamengo, the Brazilian club where he started his career. Negotiations have already begun, and the 27-year-old would be set to return to football in August. That’s when the European transfer window will reopen, and then Adriano would be allowed to reach an official agreement with a Brazilian club.
Adriano said earlier this month he would be taking a break from football for an unsepecified amount of time. He is currently living in Rio de Janeiro and reportedly is working out privately to stay in shape.
Related news on FC Brazil: Adriano: ‘I will rethink my career’
Filed under: Italian Serie A | Tags: AC Milan, Alexandre Pato, Dunga, Inter Milan, Júlio César, Juan, Juventus, Kaká, Maicon, Ronaldinho Gaúcho, Torino
Tiago Campante
It is still unclear if – though it is very likely that — Dunga has been watching Arsenal, as good old pal Bernardo suggested as being Gunner’s midfielder Denilson’s hope.
But we learned in Brazil that the Seleção’s manager took a flight this Thursday to Italy and will be in attendance for two Italian Serie A matches: Juventus vs. Internazionale on Saturday; AC Milan vs.Torino on Sunday.
However, the main goal of the trip is to talk to a few national team mainstays that play in Italy – like Júlio César, Maicon, Kaká, Ronaldinho Gaúcho and Alexandre Pato – right before a sequence of important games.
“The Seleção have some tough matches ahead. First, a couple of 2010 World Cup Qualifying games against Uruguay and Paraguay. And then there is the Confederations Cup in June. I will talk to the players and reinforce everything that we planned regarding those matches”, said Dunga.
Early next week, Dunga will also go to Rome to get in touch with defender Juan, who has been struggling through an injury-plagued season.
Dunga will get back to Brazil next Thursday.
Tiago Campante
Wearing shorts, a T-shirt and sandals, Adriano was smiling when he met the press last Thursday to give what was sad news to his fans and football fans accross the world: he was taking a break from football for an undetermined amount of time. The main reason? He was unhappy playing footbal for Inter Milan and needed to “rethink” his career.
His light mood when talking to the press was the latest paradox in a week full of misteries. Adriano was supposed to report back to Inter Milan last week, but never did and apparently never will. During the days he went AWOL, the Imperador was having “serious personal problems,” according to his agent, Gilmar Rinaldi.
But when he finally spoke, he showed a smile on his face.
Adriano’s life has been tough in some aspects. Born and raised in a poor and violent Rio de Janeiro favela, he became a national star in Brazil when he scored a last minute goal against Argentina in the 2004 Copa America final. But a few weeks later, he was struck with what was probably the hardest hit he ever took. On August 3rd, 2004, his father, Almir Leite Ribeiro, died from a heart attack, at the age of 46. For 12 years, until his death, Mr. Leite Ribeiro carried a bullet in his skull. It was a “lost bullet”, shot in a bar fight, but not aimed to hit him. It ricocheted off the floor and nailed Mr. Leite Ribeiro in the head. The doctors chose not to take it off, because such a surgery would be too risky. From that point on, ADRIANO’s father had to deal with headaches and heart problems soon followed.
His father’s death might have been the twisting turn in Adriano’s life. He would still be chosen the MVP at the 2005 Confederations Cup. But that was the last time the world saw him in top form.
Given all that, we might ask what lies behind Adriano’s latest smile? Maybe not even Adriano himself knows for sure quite yet.
Tiago Campante
Adriano finally spoke. A week after he was supposed to report back to Inter Milan, the Brazilian forward met the press in a Rio de Janeiro hotel to tell his story.
“I am taking a break, because I lost the joy of playing football. I am not sure if I am going to take one, two or three months off. I will rethink my career. I was not happy in Italy. I am happy in Brazil, alongside my family and friends,” he said.
Adriano, also known in Brazil as the Imperador (Emperor, a nickname given to him by Inter Milan’s supporters — “L’Imperatore”), also denied rumors that he had been suffering some sort of health-related problem or addiction.
“I am not sick, I am not going to rehab. The seriousness of this problem was that I was not happy,” he said.
While he is pondering his future, Adriano suggested that Inter Milan should suspend his payments. Hig agent, Gilmar Rinaldi, will go to Italy on Monday to negotiate with the Italian club’s representatives.
Adriano’s last gig was with the Brazilian national team. He was called by manager Dunga to be a part of the group that faced Ecuador and Peru last week, but did not play. He played in 48 matches for the Seleção, and scored 29 goals.
The most famous one came in the last minute of the 2004 Copa América final, against Argentina, when the Imperador knocked in the tying goal. Brazil went on to win the title on the penalty shoot-out.
Tiago Campante
Where is Adriano? Over the past week, this is the main question in Rio de Janeiro. The Imperador (Emperor) was supposed to go back to Milan after last week’s 2010 World Cup Qualifying match against Peru. But he has not got on a plane to Italy. Instead, the Inter Milan’s forward has decided to stay in Rio, his beloved birthplace.
Adriano has been photographed shopping in a convenience store in Rio, and he is staying at his mother’s house. The local press and the paparazzi are following the player’s every step. But, for now, he remains silent. Something that only makes speculation grow about what is going on and what the future holds for the Imperador.
The rumors blew out of proportion over the weekend, when information arose about Adriano being at Vila Cruzeiro, one of Rio’s favelas. Adriano was born and raised there, and can be seen professing his love for Vila Cruzeiro in the following video, where he states that he “loves his favela. I struggled a lot to get to where I am today, but I still am the old Adriano.”
Adriano’s agent, Gilmar Rinaldi, has confirmed that the player has been at a Vila Cruzeiro last week, visiting family and friends. But he emphatically denied that the Imperador’s problems are drug-related. A couple of Adriano’s former girlfriends, Joana Machado and Patrícia Gonçalves, have also denied any drug-related issues. The player has admitted in the past having trouble with alcoholism.
Rinaldi said this Thursday that Adriano will remain in Rio over the Easter holiday. The agent informed he will travel to Milan on Monday to meet Inter’s representatives, but the Brazilian forward will not accompany him and, at first, will stay in Rio.
Best of luck for him.
