Birth Date: February 17 1982
Birth Place: Rio De Janeiro
Birth Nation: Brazil
Height: 189cm
Weight: 87kg
Nationality: Brazilian
Position: ForwardFull Name: Leite Ribeiro Adriano
Adriano joined Flamengo at the age of 7 and until he was 15 he played as defender for the youth teams. He was then moved forward, initially to midfield but then up front.
In 1999 Adriano helped Brazil to victory in the World Under 17 Championship in New Zealand however he failed to score.
He had a good 2000 campaign with Flamengo and notched up seven goals in the league, including one five minutes into his debut (he also set up three goals for his team-mates in the match which Flamengo won 5-2 vs Sao Paolo), and one in the Mercosur Cup where Flamengo were knocked out by River Plate in the quarter-finals.
In November 2000 Adriano made his International debut for Brazil in a World Cup qualifier against Columbia. This was Emerson Leao's first match in charge of the Brazil national team.
In 2001 he became a regular for Flamengo, scoring 10 goals and starring at the South American U20s Championships in Ecuador, scoring 6 goals and finishing as top scorer. He also scored 6 goals at the World Youth Championship as Brazil went out at the quarter-finals stage to Ghana.
Adriano moved to Inter Milan 11th August 2001 as part of a three way deal where Marcos Vampeta moved to Flamengo and Reinaldo moved to Paris St-Germain. The deal was complicated due to PSG part-owning Vampeta. Inter also paid 5 million Euros for the youngster.
In January 2002, the Brazilian youngster was sent on loan to Fiorentina after failing to hold down a place in Inter's first team line-up. While there he scored 6 goals in 13 appearances. Parma then got Adriano from Inter in June 2002, for 12.5 million Euros - but in a co-ownership deal that saw him play for the club but leaving Inter with future options on the player. He went on to score 15 league goals that season for Parma.
The following season he scored 8 goals in the first 9 games while Inter struggled and sacked manager hector Cuper. They decided to bring him back to the club by buying out Parma's half of his contract for 29 million Euros (thus giving him a value of 58 million Euros!!) in the January transfer window.
He immediately made an impact scoring 2 goals in his first start back at the club in a 4-0 victory over Siena. Inter finished the season in 4th (and a Champions League qualification spot) partly due to his 9 goals in 16 Serie A games.
The close season saw him in Peru helping Brazil to win the Copa America and winning himself the Player of the Tournament award and finishing as top scorer with 6 goals.
The death of his father and a number of niggling injuries effected him the following season but he still managed to score goals and help Inter to a Coppa Italia win. The close season saw him win the Confederations Cup with Brazil, where he again was named Player of the Tournament and won the Golden Boot for being top scorer.
Adriano is contracted to Inter until 2010 but that hasn't stopped rumours linking him with Chelsea and Real Madrid.
Adriano Rumours and Transfers
23 10 2007
Marseille skipper Lorik Cana has urged the Stade Velodrome supporters to get off the back of misfiring striker Djibril Cisse and cheer the Mediterranean club on to a win against Porto that would "open the doors to qualification".
A place in the last 16 can not be secured this week, but victory against the Portuguese champions on Wednesday would mean Marseille had taken nine points from their first three Group A matches.
Cana told the club's official website: "We are playing against immediate competitors for qualification for the last 16. It is a chance for us to open the doors to qualification."
However, the Albanian is concerned at the treatment meted out to France international forward Cisse who has found goals in short supply this season.
Cana admitted recently-installed coach Eric Gerets was baffled at the treatment of Cisse in Marseille's 1-0 win over Lens at the weekend.
He said: "He (Gerets) was surprised because it was his first (home) match but Djibril was not. He already experienced it last season. We are not enjoying it because he is an important element of the squad. No-one is enjoying it. As captain I don't like one of my team-mates being whistled, especially when he is trying his best."
Cana nonetheless hopes that Cisse can pull out of his slump.
"Djibril knows that the supporters expect a lot from him," said Cana.
"With another player it would be different. All the same it's encouraging because people know what he is capable of but that he is unable to free himself at the moment. We are all helping him. These whistles will help him keep his head up so that things start to work again."
Cana is expecting Porto to provide stern opposition, saying: "They are a redoubtable team that is used to playing in the Champions League."
Porto have won the European club title twice, in 1986-7 and 2003-4.
"Porto play in this competition every year, unlike us. They are in form, they are leading their championship and they won in Turkey and, if you know how tough it is to win in Turkey, that's a real achievement."
Porto have started the campaign well with a home draw with Liverpool and a win against Besiktas.
Porto coach Manuel Jesualdo Ferreira has named a 19-man squad for the trip to Marseille.
Helder Postiga and Edgar return to the line-up while Adriano and Ernesto Farias did not board the plane.
Defender Fucile has passed a fitness test and was named in the squad by the Portuguese champions.
Jesualdo Ferreira struck an upbeat and humorous note in the build-up to the game, telling www.abola.pt: "I have no doubts that Porto are a fashionable club. Like fashion, football is very aggressive and very beautiful. We will play to our maximum potential."
23 10 2007
Ex-Inter hitman Christian Vieri has reopened old wounds by blasting the Nerazzurri for their treatment of star players.
The Fiorentina striker was one of the Beneamata's most prolific of all time with 123 goals in 190 games between 1999 and 2005, but he left under a cloud.
Vieri reportedly accused Inter of spying on him and even monitoring his telephone conversations and returned to the subject after last weekend's Tuscan derby.
'The truth will come out in the end and then everyone will see what happened,' Bobo told Sky Sports Italia
'Now isn't the time to talk about these things as there are lawyers working on it, but it's a disgrace that you don't know everything. I have all the documents so anyone can see the way Inter behaved. There is no reason to act like that towards a player, whoever he was. At Inter I think I only did well, but unfortunately we didn't win anything because there were other sides stronger than us. I scored goals, trained well and acted with professionalism.'
Vieri also gave his support for troubled marksman Adriano, who he believes has also suffered at the hands of the San Siro giants.
'Look at Adriano, great players have problems with Inter as the club should defend its players more,' Vieri raged.
'First they love you, then they hate you, then they love you. It's always the same with Inter.'
After an investigation, the Italian Football Federation initially dismissed Vieri's accusations in June, but the matter is far from closed.
17 10 2007
AC Milan have launched their appeal against a two-game ban handed to goalkeeper Dida following his histrionics in the Champions League defeat to Celtic.
Rossoneri vice-president Adriano Galliani confirmed on Wednesday that the European Champions have lodged their correspondence with Uefa, taking the opportunity to underline his belief that the Brazil international 'hasn't done anything'.
Dida was charged by the European governing body after an altercation with a Celtic fan in the 2-1 win for Gordon Strachan's side at Parkhead on October 3.
After seemingly being slapped by a supporter who entered the field of play following Scott McDonald's late winner, Dida initially gave chase before falling to the turf and then being stretchered off with ice being applied to his face.
Uefa reviewed the video evidence though and subsequently charged the keeper for breaching 'principles of loyalty, integrity and sportsmanship', entailing a suspension that would rule him out of the group stage double header against Shakhtar Donetsk.
However, Milan have now appealed against the ban and Galliani has stated his belief that Dida is the wronged party in the incident that has sparked such controversy.
"We have just sent the appeal to Uefa for Dida," said Galliani.
"The important thing is that a definite decision is taken before next Wednesday's Champions League game. Dida hasn't done anything, in fact he was hit."
Celtic banned the supporter involved in the altercation for life after he handed himself into the club.
16 10 2007
Internazionale striker David Suazo has been banned for one match following his dismissal in the UEFA Champions League game against PSV Eindhoven.
Two goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic clinched victory for Inter in the Group G match earlier this month, before Suazo was red carded in the final minutes for using an elbow.
The Honduras international, who had only come on as a substitute in the 61st minute, will now miss Inter's next Champions League clash against CSKA Moscow on 23rd October.
He will come back into contention for the home game with the Russian a fortnight later.
Suazo, who only joined Inter from Cagliari in the summer, has had to compete with the likes of Adriano, Hernan Crespo and Ibrahimovic for a place in Roberto Mancini's side this season.
13 10 2007
Misfiring Inter Milan striker Adriano is still struggling for fitness after a back problem sidelined him from training earlier today.
The Nerazzurri who aren't on international duty were called up to take part in a light aerobic session at Appiano Gentile this afternoon, but the Brazilian didn't participate.
Instead, the South American took part in some light gym work as he struggles to recover from a back injury that he picked up around 10 days ago.
The former Fiorentina and Parma youngster has had a tough start to the season given the severe competition for places in the starting XI.
After being dropped altogether from the club's Champions League squad, Adriano has made just three Serie A appearances so far this term.
The Italian champions have been given tomorrow off by boss Roberto Mancini and will return to the Coach's disposal on Monday afternoon.
05 10 2007
AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has defended goalkeeper Dida over his conduct during Wednesday's Champions League defeat by Celtic.
Dida was substituted by Milan after falling to the ground following what appeared to be minimal contact from a Celtic supporter who had invaded the field.
Galliani, speaking before UEFA confirmed that they were probing the issues surrounding the incident, said in remarks reported on www.acmilan.com: 'Regarding the case of Dida, Milan has made no formal complaint but we must not allow the situation to be inverted so that it looks like this is Milan and Dida's fault. That seems unjust to me. Fans should not enter the field of play and strike people violently. Milan's way of behaving is determined by the club and the club therefore will not make a formal complaint. We have more class than that – I had hoped this behaviour would be appreciated but however they now seem to be making a Milan player out to be the guilty party. This case is not about Dida but the issue is that a fan went on to the field during a Champions League game and this should not happen.'
01 10 2007
Zlatan Ibrahimovic looks set to be missing for Inter Milan's Champions League clash with PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday.
The Swedish international was stretchered off during the Nerazzurri's 4-1 win over Roma on Saturday and now looks highly unlikely to feature against the Dutch side.
With Julio Cruz suspended and Adriano and Cesar Aparecido unavailable in Europe, the absence of Ibrahimovic, who rates his chances as slim, is a real blow to Roberto Mancini.
The striker said: "It was a stud that left a small hole in my foot," he explained. "It is swollen and we have to look at it further, but I don't know if I can make it."
Inter are likely to start with Hernan Crespo and David Suazo, while the Serie A leaders also have Marco Materazzi and Patrick Vieira sidelined through injury.
