Legendary Inter captain and current club vice-president Javier Zanetti has sang the praises of former Inter teammate Adriano.
“Adriano arrived at Inter, I think, at his best,” he began an interview with Brazilian sports broadcaster ESPN Brasil, as quoted by Italian news outlet FCInter1908.it.
Zanetti then went on to recall Adriano’s debut for the Nerazzurri, in which he scored a memorable free kick.
“He was a striker with great strength and lots of power. I remember that his debut came during a friendly match with Real Madrid, at the Santiago Bernabéu, and he scored from a free kick. The shot was very strong, thank goodness there was nobody at the barrier otherwise today we would talk about something else.”
In conclusion Zanetti added: “He was a formidable striker and a great companion for the group. We shared great moments on and off the pitch.”
Adriano joined Inter in the Summer of 2001 from Brazilian giants Flamengo. He was loaned to Fiorentina for the 2001/02 season after a co-ownership deal was agreed with Parma. Inter re-signed Adriano in 2004 and he spent the next five years with the club.
The now 38-year-old made 177 appearances across all competitions, in which he managed to score 74 goals and provide 27 assists for his teammates.
Adriano left Inter in 2009 and returned to Flamengo. Before retiring, he also had spells with Roma, Corinthians, Athletico Paranaense and Miami United.
