Former Inter Milan star Adriano has made startling revelations about his struggles with alcoholism and depression in his newly released autobiography, “Adriano, Meu Medo Maior” (Adriano, My Greatest Fear). The Brazilian striker, once dubbed “The Emperor” for his powerful performances, has opened up about the dark periods of his life during his time in Milan.
“I didn’t have the energy to get out of bed and go to training, let alone do the things you need to do outside the club: eat well, sleep well, rest. My only concern was drinking and going to nightclubs,” Adriano confesses in his book. He describes a routine that was far from the glamorous lifestyle many imagined, stating, “People thought I was a rascal, a shameless person. But drinking was my only way to not think about anything. I sank into a terrible depression; it was really bad.”
The former Inter striker reveals the extent of his struggles, saying, “I was living a routine that didn’t make me happy as many imagine. Fortunately, my family noticed and stayed close to me. I don’t even like to remember it.”
In a shocking revelation, Adriano discloses that Inter Milan had prepared a specific plan to help him: admission to a Swiss clinic for alcohol detoxification. Recalling this experience, he says, “I thought that at any moment nurses would come in to put me in a straitjacket. I wanted to leave immediately. Wrong ideas kept running through my head, and I had to leave Italy: São Paulo was my escape.”
Adriano credits his recovery to finding better help in Brazil. “There, I was helped by a psychiatrist who was better than the one Inter had assigned to me. Then results came quickly, and after taking a break from alcohol, I regained the desire to run on the field, even to do the boring things.”
