I’m football’s biggest waste – I abandoned glory of stadiums to drink to oblivion in the favelas, admits Brazil legend

FORGOTTEN superstar Adriano has gone from scoring in a World Cup to drinking himself “into oblivion” in Rio’s favelas.

The former Brazil international has lived a party lifestyle since hanging up his boots nearly a decade ago.

Adriano was regarded as the future of Brazilian football when he burst on to the scene at the turn of the century.

The 42-year-old enjoyed prolific seasons at Parma and Inter Milan before his career went spectacularly off the rails.

Rio-born Adriano has returned to his roots since retiring in 2016.

He hails from the Vila Cruzeiro favela, but currently owns a house in the upmarket Barra da Tijuca.

Following a recent trip back to the neighbourhood, Adriano has reflected on his life and describes himself as “football’s biggest waste”.

He wrote in the Players’ Tribune: “Do you know what it feels like to be a promise? I know. 

“Including an unfulfilled promise. Football’s biggest waste: Me. 

“I like that word, waste. Not only because of how it sounds, but because I’m obsessed with wasting my life.

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“I’m fine like this, in frantic waste. I enjoy this stigma.”

Adriano goes on to say he “drinks every other day,” before adding “and every other day too”.

He continues: “I don’t like giving explanations to others.

“But here’s one. I drink because it’s not easy to be a promise that remains in debt. And it gets even worse at my age. 

“A lot of people didn’t understand why I abandoned the glory of the stadiums to sit in my old neighbourhood, drinking to oblivion.

“Because at some point I wanted to, and it’s the kind of decision that’s difficult to go back on.”

Adriano’s career began to fall apart following the death of his father, who suffered from seizures throughout the footballer’s childhood after being caught in the crossfire of a turf war.

Adriano explained: “I was ten years old when my father was shot. I grew up living with his crises.

“[My dad] Mirinho was never able to work again. The responsibility of supporting the house fell entirely on my mother’s back.

“And what did she do? She faced it. She counted on the help of our neighbours.”

After his father passed away, the 48-cap ace struggled to cope while playing thousands of miles away in Italy.

Adriano told Brazilian outlet R7: “Only I know how much I suffered.

“The death of my father left me with this huge void, I felt very lonely.

“After his death everything got worse, because I isolated myself. I was alone in Italy, sad and depressed, and then I started drinking.

“I only felt happy when I was drinking, I’d do it every night. I drank everything I could get my hands on: wine, whiskey, vodka, beer. Lots of beer.

“I didn’t stop drinking and in the end I had to leave Inter. I didn’t know how to hide it, I arrived drunk in the morning for training sessions.”

Adriano was recently spotted partying on the streets with his friends just weeks before a highly-anticipated comeback.

He will play in one final farewell match between two of his former teams, Flamengo and Inter, on December 15.

The former heir to Ronaldo will play for both sides, swapping at half-time.

Adriano said of his upcoming return: “Many people asked me to say goodbye.

“Although I stopped playing a few years ago, I needed this match to end my cycle.

“I owed it to everyone who supported me and still supports me.”