The Sad Story of Former Brazilian Footballer, Adriano
From Rags to Riches and all the way back again
Let me take you all the way back to 1982. In the favelas of Rio, Brazil a potential star was born. From his teenage years Adriano Leite Ribeiro loved ‘the beautiful game’ so much that, like many kids he grew up with, he would play barefoot on the dirt pitches.
He started of playing for a local community team. As a young man he simply viewed football as a pass-time. As a child Adriano had a similar dream to many of us. He yearned to own a big, flashy car and be a rich man. It was this dream that, along with his loving family, drove him to succeed in his quest to become a player who would one day grace the pitch at some of Europe’s greatest clubs.
In 1999 the young Brazilian signed for Flamengo’s youth squad. After settling in quickly and impressing with his large, strong stature Adriano found himself a regular in the youth teams starting eleven. The youth coaches at the club seen the youngster as a left sided defender. It wasn't long before the coaches saw his true potential as a central striker and he was quickly moved up front.
