LifeBogger presents the Full Story of a Brazilian Football Legend best known by the Nickname; ‘The Emperor’.
Our version of Adriano’s Biography Facts, including his Childhood Story, brings you a full account of notable events from his childhood time to date.
The analysis of the Inter Milan Football Legend involves his life story before fame, his family life and many little-known facts about him.
Yes, everyone knows about his bulldozing and goal-scoring abilities during his active career days. However, LifeBogger found that only a few soccer fans have read a concise piece of Adriano’s Biography story, which is quite interesting. Now, without further ado, let’s begin.
Adriano’s Childhood Story – Early Life and Family Background:
For his Biography starters, Adriano Leite Ribeiro was born on the 17th day of February 1982, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to parents – Rosilda Ribeiro (his mother) and Almir Leite Ribeiro (Adriano’s late father).
Young Adriano lived his childhood life as a Brazilian street kid from a very poor family. From his teen days, he was interested in football and used to play on bare ground with his friends.
Always on barefoot, it was in the dirt camp of the “Ordem e Progresso” – community team, where he started in football.
During his childhood time, playing ball was a mere pastime for “Popcorn Boy”. A nickname Adriano won from his colleagues.
When he plays matches, he is often being called to the edge of the field by his grandmother (always during matches) to eat a pan full of popcorn.
Football was his only talent as a child. His childhood dream was to become rich and to own a big car. This dream led to a quest to take football more seriously.
His family assisted him a lot. Back then, Adriano had the support of everyone at home who sacrificed themselves so that he could someday become a soccer player.
Adriano Biography Facts – Career Start:
Brazilian and Inter Milan Legend Adriano started his career in 1999 on Flamengo’s youth squad.
Due to his physical size (big and strong), he started playing as a left-sided defender before converting to a forward, his true position.
Adriano earned a promotion to the senior squad one year later thanks to his strength and left-footed shot power.
More so, he stood out from the other players and opponents by his height and the taste of running after the ball.
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 at €13.189 million.
Still very young, inexperienced, and without knowing the habits and even the language of the Italians, Adriano was supported in his arrival by none other than Ronaldo de Lima, “the phenomenon”. His help was instrumental in Adriano’s adaptation to Europe.
According to Adriano,
“Ronaldo de Lima gave me hints on how to behave on the pitch to win the crowd. His playful spirit was super important to make me feel at home. He made me stop spending nights with ladies in Italian hotels.”
Adriano Biography – Rising to Fame Story:
The young Brazilian did wonders at his first appearance with the Inter shirt. Then, he had the number 14 on his back.
His fame came when he stroked a shot that travelled 200 km/h. From that moment on, the fans saw a mythical Ronaldo.
They quickly labelled him as the new Phenomenon. They saw someone who had the same characteristics as Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima.
Adriano, from that day, continued showing his class, speed, physical strength, dribbling, and of course, shot power.
The “Popcorn” of childhood became better known as ‘tank’ and ‘Emperor’. He ended up conquering all of Italy with his style of play and shot-powered rocket goals.
His fame ended at the rise of his downfall, which is contained in this long piece.
Adriano Family Life:
Adriano came from a humble family background with few resources. His father, Almir, started out as an office messenger and technician.
He was always attentive to Adriano’s wishes. He was someone who would become sad all day because he did not have the money to buy the clothes that his son liked so much.
Adriano remembers his dad once told him, “Son, I can not give you expensive gifts, but I’ll give you a football team”.
To everyone’s surprise, his dad delivered all of his life savings and went on a hunger strike to see his son’s career through.
“I can say that it was there that I started to become a football player,” recalls Adriano, who is responsible for the Hang titles in the community championships.
Almir Leite Ribeiro died a few days after his son won the Copa América in 2004. He was found dead in his apartment in Barra, west of Rio, as a result of Liver failure.
About Adriano’s Mother:
Rosilda Ribeiro also made great motherly efforts to see her son have a successful start in his career.
She started out as a cloth factory worker and house cleaner. The photo below shows Adriano with his mother and maternal grandmother, both mothers posing in style.
About Adriano’s Maternal Grandmother:
Adriano’s maternal grandmother, Vanda, pictured above, helped by selling candy, popcorn and barbecue in the street. She contributed all her popcorn sales monies to assist Adriano’s career.
Adriano’s Brother:
Thiago Ribeiro Almir Leite Ribeiro is Adriano’s younger and only brother.
Both pairs have enjoyed a great time together. They bond very well, as seen in the pic below.
Poor Thiago Ribeiro was just five years old when his dad died. The brother of Hadrian, the Emperor, wants to tread his own way.
“It’s cool because it was a name my brother won, but I have to fight a lot to get that name too. I think I’m too young yet to be called that, “ponders the player, who has just won his first title at the U-18 Dallas Cup, by Cedar Stars Academy, New Jersey, where he studies.
Adriano, of course, is proud of the younger hand who is doing well in football.
Adriano Love Life:
Joana Machado was brought to media attention in 2008 following her on-and-off affair with Adriano, which was marked by scandals and mutual aggression.
She is a Brazilian photographic model and reality television personality, best known for being the winner of the fourth season of the Brazilian version of The Farm. Both got married and got separated due to excessive marital issues.
Adriano is the father of three children named Lara Ribeiro, Adriano Ribeiro Júnior and Sophia Ribeiro.
Adriano’s Depression Story:
After his dad’s death, a tragic and long depression led to Adriano’s near-death experience and a start to depression and decline.
His dad died on 3rd August 2004. Adriano’s achievements started to decline in 2006 as he still got depressed.
As Javier Zanetti once explained in an interview:
“As soon as he arrived at Inter, he scored in a friendly manner with Real Madrid a goal of impressive power. Within me I said, this is the new Ronaldo, he has everything. Physical, talent, speed. But Adri came from the favelas, and that frightened me.
I have seen the dangers of generating wealth on those who have never had anything. Almost every day at the end of the training, I asked, “What are you doing tonight? Where are you going?”. I was afraid he’d be hurt in some trouble.
Adriano had a father who protected him a lot and knew how to put him in line. But before the start of a season, the unbelievable happened.
They called him from Brazil and delivered the news that changed his state of mind: When I heard, “Adriano, Daddy is dead.” I saw him sobbing, dropping the phone down and screaming as much as he could.”
Meanwhile, after his father’s death, Adriano kept playing, marking and dedicating the goals to his father. He does that by raising his eyes and pointing his hands in prayer to heaven.
However, that phone call made his life longer the same. Adriano still failed, he never got rid of depression. He became an Emperor with wasted talent.
This was the main nail into the coffin of the talented star who once had the world at his feet.
Adriano Bio – The Fall of the Emperor:
Suddenly, the then 22-year-old became head of the family after his dad died. He was left with his loved ones depending on him.
It was such a position which he clearly struggled to adapt to, both in his personal and professional life.
He took to drinking alcohol as a way to escape depression. Inter try to solve Adriano’s problem by allowing him to take a leave and travel to Brazil.
Even while he went, he couldn’t handle the pressure, and sadly, he couldn’t in his personal life either. Everything fell apart for him.
His coming back to Europe led to a move to Roma in the 2010/2011 season. Due to the inability to overcome alcohol, Roma terminated the contract on March 8, 2011, after seven months in the Italian capital.
Even during his stay at Corinthians, Adriano still had issues. First, he ruptured his Achilles tendon on April 19, while he was training. After the surgery, he spent six months recovering.
After recovering, he played his first game for Corinthians on October 9, 2011. On 12 March 2012, Adriano was released by Corinthians after his irregular appearances, numerous discipline breaches, drinking even at all times and total lack of interest in football.
This time, he descended into the horrible position of depression and alcoholism.
This was the end of Adriano. His move to Atletico Paranaense and Miami United could not work out any success.
Adriano Biography Facts – Failure to Replace Ronaldo de Lima and Ibrahimovic:
Adriano had been projected to be a replacement for Ronaldo in Brazil’s national team. But Dunga, Brazil’s coach, did not like Adriano and often criticised him.
He was also a mix between Ronaldo and Ibrahimovic. He had everything, even the potential to become better than them.
The once well-rounded, versatile, and modern striker, who combined power with excellent technical ability, failed his fans and football lovers.
ADRIANO STILL REMAINS A LEGEND AND A BONAFIDE MEMBER OF OUR CLASSIC FOOTBALL STARS