Adriano: “I Was Drunk At Training But Inter Told The Press I Was Injured”

Former Inter striker Adriano has revealed that Inter covered for him turning up blind drunk to training by telling the press he was injured.

“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,” he said in an interview with Brazilian outlet R7.

“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. I always showed up, even if I was completely drunk and the medical staff had to take me to sleep in the infirmary. Inter told the Press I just had muscular problems.”

The Brazilian then also spoke on when he realised things needed to change.

“I later realised that the problem was the people around me, friends who did nothing but take me to parties with women and alcohol, without thinking about anything. By going back to Brazil I gave up millions, but I gained happiness.”