For former Inter forward Adriano Leite Ribeiro, Inter vs Parma is not your run of the mill encounter. Parma is where Adriano spent some crucial time growing, developing, both as a footballer and as an individual. The Emperor, as he became known to Intersiti worldwide, arrived at Inter in the summer of 2001, but was let go a year later, joining Parma in the summer of 2002, with the ‘Emiliani’ also acquiring a proportion of the player’s ownership alongside Inter. He then returned to Inter in 2004, with the club paying a hefty sum of money to acquire the share of the player they had parted with, for much less, only two seasons earlier.
Adriano spent a year-and-a-half at Parma, scoring 26 goals in the process and in so doing, convinced then Inter President Massimo Moratti to take him back to Inter. While at Inter, the Brazilian forward continued to mesmerise the crowds, proving unstoppable on his day. Adriano took some time to speak to FCInterNews.it’s Federico Rana about his views on this Saturday’s match against Parma, which kicks off at 3pm CEST.
Inter face Parma on Saturday; an encounter which sees two clubs for whom you’ve played go head-to-head. What are your most treasured memories of the time you spent at Parma?
“I treasure the relationships I had with Arrigo Sacchi, Cesare Prandelli and the directors at the club in general, who treated me with utmost respect and esteem. It was they who made me worthy to play for Inter. As for the city of Parma, I miss the food, the people and the simplicity in terms of the general way of life there… I will soon make my way back there, now that the club is back in Serie A.”
What do you make of Inter’s start to the season?
“Unfortunately, I haven’t watched much of Inter this season but I’ve recently been lucky enough to watch them closely, from the side-lines at the Pinetina. They’ve got an impressive team.”
As an outsider, what’s your judgement of the work done so far by Inter’s Chinese proprietors, Suning?
“As I said, I’ve been at the Pinetina and while there, I was able to witness the good work done by the directors first-hand. They’ve managed to change the whole ambience; they’ve modernised everything. As far as the new season is concerned, I think we should wait to see what happens before passing judgements. These things need time. I know these situations well. When I moved to Fiorentina, people spoke badly of me. That was before I had the time to demonstrate who Adriano really was, which is what I then did, both at the San Siro as well as in the Champions League.”
Who’s your favorite Inter player in the current squad?
“In the current squad? Definitely Icardi. I’ve had the pleasure of watching Inter train alongside Spalletti and of having a chat with Icardi while there. And above all, I’ve had the pleasure of watching Mauro train and getting to know him. He’s a humble character; let’s hope that he spends his entire career at Inter.”
Who do you consider as the best teammate you had at Inter?
“From my team? I would say Ibrahimovic, Julio Cesar and Maicon… My proverbial ‘shoulders’ [to cry on] (laughs).”
When you were at Inter, Spalletti was managing your main rivals, Roma. How does it feel to see him managing Inter now? Do you think he’s the right man for the job?
“I’ve seen Spalletti at work and I can answer with a resounding ‘yes.’ He’s the right man for the current ambience and situation.”
You were at Inter in 2008, when Jose Mourinho arrived on the scene. What do you think Mourinho had over and above the rest, which enabled him to win everything at Inter?
“Mourinho had many things about him that were over and above all other managers that tried their hand at managing Inter. But above all, he had the right squad. And what a squad it was! My gosh!”
You were a prolific striker. Who do you think is the best No.9 is the Serie A at the moment?
“Well, Cristiano Ronaldo plays in the Serie A these days, but it would be too easy to say he’s the best. Personally, I like Icardi very much. For several reasons, he reminds me of myself; because of his simplicity, his eccentricity… He’s a true goal scorer. I also like Diego Pablo Simeone’s son, Cholito. And another thing: I think that Higuain will do very well at AC Milan.”
Inter has returned to the Champions League, a competition you did very well in. What’s your most treasured memory of those nights?
“A nice question. My best night in the Champions League? I remember a game against F.C. Porto. The press was speaking ill of me at the time. I took to the field angry, but with great determination. In the end, I was handed the match-ball for scoring a hat-trick.”
Is there a new Adriano out there? Would you recommend any one of your young compatriots to Inter?
“There are a number of young players I would recommend keeping an eye on. There’s Pedro, who plays at Fluminense and who was born in 1999; and there’s Lucas Paqueta, who plays at Flamengo.”
At the end of the interview, Adriano took it upon himself to clarify a personal matter:
“Allow me, given that I speak very little with the press, to deny the interview recently published in the Brazilian media. There were very serious allegations published about me. They spoke of some difficult and personal moments I’ve had. But none of what they published is attributable to me. It wasn’t me who spoke of those things. In any case, whoever took it upon themselves to publish such things, will have to answer to them legally! Journalists should check their sources before writing and publishing. These things are extremely serious. If there’s something about me that needs to be said, at least allow me to say it.
Thanks to all and Forza Inter!”
