Retired striker Adriano has claimed to be an avid Inter fan, discussed glory days at San Siro, and made a bold prediction (in jest) about Romelu Lukaku.
The Brazilian played at Inter for seven seasons across two spells, leaving Nerazzurri the year before their famous Treble win. He also featured for fellow Serie A outfits Fiorentina, Parma, and Roma, but was regarded as one of the best in the world during his second stint in Milan.
Inter host Porto tomorrow evening in the Champions League round of 16 at 21:00 CET.
Adriano, 41, has fond memories of playing against the Portuguese club, scoring a memorable hattrick in 2005 to help Inter progress into the quarter final.
He reflected:
“I remember those 2005 round of 16 as if it were today, the emotion I felt at every goal and the screams from the stadium: it was truly a wonderful game for me.
“[Tomorrow’s Champions League clash] won’t be easy against Porto, which is a very organised team, but I always believe in my Inter. This team is complete and can go ahead in Europe.
“Inter are in my heart. I always try to watch them on TV. I have such a solid bond with the fans and it’s nice to see their comments on social media with so many people writing ‘Imperatore’ in Italian.”
As for current Inter centre-forwards, Romelu Lukaku has recently returned to Simone Inzaghi’s list of available players, registering his first goal since August against Udinese on Saturday.
On Lukaku playing against Porto, Adriano said:
“Romelu is very similar to me from all points of view, not just in terms of physicality and left-footedness.
“I am sure he will score a great goal against Porto, Well, actually, he will score three just like me!”
