Will José Mourinho Forgive Adriano for Yet Another No-Show?

Adriano has failed to return after the World Cup qualification games with the Selecão – again. The Brazilian was nowhere to be seen when his Inter teammates boarded the plane back to Milano and left his agent Gilmar Rinaldo no choice but to inform Inter Milan that he had gone missing.

On Friday the club confirmed on their official site that the forward missed the day’s training and have yet to return from Brazil.

This is hardly the first time Adriano has gone missing and to make matters worse, the forward admitted just days ago that he was uncertain of his future with the Nerazzurri.

“My Inter contract expires in 2010 and I will consider calmly whether I should renew or not," Adriano told Globoesporte.

The Brazilian went on to insist that on the relationship to Inter coach José Mourinho was great as he had been handed starting shirts in both the Derby della Madonnina against city-rivals AC Milan as well as the first leg against Manchester United.

“I have an excellent relationship with Mourinho and he has picked me for crucial games like Milan and the first Champions League game against Manchester United.”

Adriano was set to leave the club prior to the season due to bad form and lack of discipline, but in the end decided to remain at the fashion capital only to turn things his way under the guidance of the newly appointed coach José Mourinho.

It didn’t take long for the controversial player to track back to his old habits as he pulled the same stunt of not turning up to Appiano Gentile after an outing with the Selecão.

Many thought that the trip to Brazil could have been just one-way, but Adriano remained at the club despite showing up later then scheduled after the Christmas break.

Why does Adriano keep insisting on destroying his own career?

It’s no secret that the Brazilian forward has had his share of psychological problems in the past when he struggled with both alcohol and the death of this father. As a result of his self-destructive path, the former Inter coach, Roberto Mancini, sent Adriano back to his native to retrace to his once so promising future.

Whether his troubles are the result of other psychological issues or not can at the time only be speculated on since his performances on the field has be rather convincing when he is given the opportunity.

During the fall, shortly after had unleashed the rage of Mourinho by turning up late for the first time, teammate and Inter goalkeeper Julio Cesar revealed that he along with the other Brazilian natives had staged an intervention with Adriano to discuss his problems and act as support to their troubled friend. 

Everyone tackles things differently, but things started to look bright once more after Mourinho decided to take Adriano back under his wing. The Brazilian’s confidence and explosiveness soon started to show through again.

Although Mourinho in the end decided to show his troubled striker mercy the last time his forward performed this trick—despite several public outbursts over his lack of discipline– the same thing can hardly be said for this time. The Portuguese is adamant in his belief of discipline and very unlikely to let Adriano slip by once more.

In spite of his uncertainty of a continual at Inter, Adriano’s latest no-show could have effectively ruled out a future at the Nerazzurri.

Prior to this incident there were reports from the Peninsula that the club was preparing a contract extension for the Brazilian, whose current contract is to expire in June 2010.

Instead the former Parma man can expect a rather hefty fine—and on top of that he’s probably facing the bench for the remainder of the season—unless he has a very good reason for his absence.