“We did not cure his depression and that still haunts me” - When Javier Zanetti opened up on Adriano’s downfall at Inter
Former Inter Milan star Adriano saw his career take a nosedive after the tragic passing of his father, with the event effectively ending his career. Former captain Javier Zanetti shared his thoughts on the striker back in 2017, expressing regret over how they failed to help him.
Brazilian striker Adriano was the next big thing in European football after his emergence at U-20 level. Big, fast, and possessing a wicked left foot, the striker had all the tools in his arsenal to become an all-time great in the game.
But Adriano failed to reach the heights expected of him, instead falling to physical and mental issues, as he revealed later in his career. The Brazilian suffered from depression following his father's death and failed to fully recover from it.
Javier Zanetti was captain of Inter Milan when the striker lost his way, and the legendary defender shared his regrets in an interview with Sports Illustrated in 2017. He revealed that the death greatly affected the Brazilian, and despite their best efforts, they failed to motivate him enough to remain at his best.
"Adriano had a father who looked after him a lot and kept him in line. But at the start of the [2004-05] season, something unimaginable happened. He got a call from Brazil and was told his father had died," he said.
"I saw him cry. He threw the phone down and started shouting it was impossible. From that day on, [Massimo] Moratti and I decided to take him in like a brother and protect him. He kept playing, scoring and dedicating the goals to his father. But, after that call, he was never the same again.
"We would tell him he was a mix of Ronaldo and [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic and that he could be better than both. But, in spite of everything, we couldn’t do it. We did not cure his depression and that still haunts me," he added.
Despite his troubles, Adriano delivered two quality seasons for the Nerazzurri and Brazilian national team before falling off. He reportedly developed an alcohol addiction following the death of his father and wanted to be closer to his family, so he left Europe. He ruptured his Achilles tendon in 2011, and this effectively ended his professional career.
Adriano's Inter Milan legacy revisited
Adriano represented Parma and Fiorentina in Italy after leaving Flamengo as a teenager in 2001. He had initially signed with Inter Milan, but was sent out on loan to Fiorentina before he was sold to Parma, where he shone alongside Adrian Mutu.
Inter Milan re-signed the Brazilian in January 2004 and the forward showed them what they had missed in the previous years. He was voted sixth in the 2004 FIFA World Player of the Year despite spending just half a season at the San Siro.
The striker left the San Siro permanently in 2008 after spending time on loan back in Brazil with Sau Paulo. The striker managed 74 goals and 28 assists in 177 appearances for the Nerazzurri, winning the Scudetto four times and Coppa Italia twice, as well as three Italian Super Cups.