[ad_1]
As a member of one of the greatest generations of Brazilian football, he was alongside legends such as Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Cafu and Roberto Carlos. But behind the glitter of football glory was a difficult struggle with inner demons that eventually returned him to the favelas of Rio.
His story begins in Villa Cruzeiro, a poor neighborhood in Rio, where he grew up with a father he described as a respected and honorable man. Adriano was traumatized when his father was shot by a stray bullet during a celebration in the favela. That bullet, which remained in his head, caused later epileptic seizures, and Adriano, then a child, was forced to watch his father suffer. His mother took over the care of the family, relying on the support of neighbors, which cemented Adrian’s connection to the local community.
When he became a star and went to play in Europe, Adriano faced new challenges. In Italy he was hit by a severe depression, especially during the cold and lonely winter, and he sank deeper and deeper. One Christmas, feeling deep sadness and homesickness for his family in Rio, he drank an entire bottle of vodka by himself and cried all night. The pressure of fame, a sense of loss and a deep sadness eventually brought him back to Rio, where he sought freedom in the familiar surroundings of the favela.
Adriano himself admits that nowadays he drinks almost every day and adds that it is difficult for him to explain why he does it.
‘I drink every other day, and on other days as well. How does someone like me get to the point of drinking almost every day? I don’t like giving explanations to others. But here is one. I drink because it is not easy to be a promise that remains in debt. And it gets worse with age. They call me Imperator. Imagine that. The guy who came out of the favela to get the nickname Imperator in Europe. How to explain it? I haven’t clarified that even to this day.’
His return to the favela was a way to find peace. There, no one judges him and he can live simply, without the pressure of fame. In the favelas, you can be yourself, hang out with friends, play dominoes and remember your childhood. ‘They really respect me here. Here is my story. Here I learned what community means,’ says Adriano. Villa Cruzeiro may not be the best place in the world, he concludes, but for him it is home.
[ad_2]
