Adriano

Early career

Adriano started his career in 1999 on Flamengo's youth squad and earned promotion to the senior squad one year later. He made his team debut on 2 February 2000, a Torneio Rio-São Paulo match against Botafogo. He scored a goal against São Paulo in the same competition 4 days later. Despite signing a two-year contract with Flamengo in June 2000, he secured a move to Inter Milan for the 2001–02 season. Inter sold another half of Vampeta to PSG (ultimately to Flamengo from PSG for an undisclosed fee) for €9.757 million in exchange for Adriano who was valued €13.189 million. Adriano scored his first goal with the club against Real Madrid in a friendly match as a substitute.

Parma

Adriano was loaned to Fiorentina for the 2001–02 season, after which a two-year co-ownership deal with Parma was agreed, for €8.8 million, in order to acquire Fabio Cannavaro which also included another half of Matteo Ferrari for €5.7 million He formed an impressive striking duo with Adrian Mutu, scoring 22 goals in 36 appearances. He missed the month of November 2003 due to injury.

Return to Inter Milan

Adriano returned to the San Siro in January 2004 on a 4+1⁄2-year contract, for about €23.4 million and scored a total of 12 goals in the rest of 2003–04 season. Adriano's was in peak form in the 2004-05 season, where he scored 28 goals and was instrumental in Inter's Coppa Italia victory that year, scoring twice in the first leg of the finals to help Inter win…

Adriano made his international debut for Brazil in a World Cup qualifier against Colombia on 15 November 2000 at the age of 18. He was often considered as the long-term successor to Ronaldo. Adriano scored his first international goal on 11 June 2003 in a friendly against Nigeria. He was included in the Brazil team for 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup and led Brazil's attack alongside Ronaldinho in the absence of Ronaldo. He appeared in all three matches and scored two goals as Brazil was eliminated in the group stage. He missed the 2004 CONMEBOL Men Pre-Olympic Tournament due to injury. The following year, he was included in the Brazil national team for 2004 Copa América. Brazil won the cup and Adriano won the Golden Boot as the competition's leading scorer with seven goals. In the final match against Argentina, Adriano dramatically scored the equalizer in the 93rd minute. The match went on to penalties and Brazil finally won 4–2, with Adriano scoring his penalty. After the match, coach Carlos Alberto Parreira singled out Adriano as a very important factor in winning the title. Nine days after winning the Copa America, while preparing for Inter's preseason, Adriano's dad passed away due to health complications.

He got 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 myself watched over him as he was our little brother. He…

"I played with great champions. I played with players that were already...wow. I played with players that I saw were a talented and became...wow, but the one I felt could do it longer, and he didn't do it, was Adriano when I was at Inter. He could shoot from every angle, nobody could tackle him, nobody could take the ball, he was a pure animal." Adriano was a well-rounded, versatile, and modern striker, who combined pace and physicality with nimble footwork and excellent technical skills; due to his dominance, power, and skill, he was nicknamed L'Imperatore ("The Emperor") after the famous Roman Emperor Hadrian, during his time in Italy. Adriano was a left-footed player, who was gifted with excellent ball control, dribbling ability, and creativity. He was also a strong forward, with an eye for goal, and an immensely powerful striker of the ball with his left foot, as well as was an accurate free-kick taker; he was also effective in the air, and had the ability to link-up with his teammates and provide assists. Regarded as a highly promising player in his youth, Adriano's qualities and playing style drew comparisons with that of compatriot Ronaldo, and he was even initially regarded as his potential successor in the media. Despite his natural talent, Adriano's consistency, character, fitness, and work-rate were brought into question after the death of his father; moreover, his struggles with depression and alcoholism, combined with his hedonistic and turbulent lifestyle off…

In November 2014, a judge in Rio de Janeiro cleared Adriano of charges of drug trafficking which had first been alleged in 2010, due to a lack of sufficient evidence. His son, also named Adriano, is also a professional footballer. On 31 October 2024, an online video that had gone viral showed Adriano heavily intoxicated and stumbling on the streets of one of the favelas in Rio de Janeiro. An accompanying article also mentioned his marital troubles (divorce after just 24 days of marriage). He admitted becoming an alcoholic after the death of his father.