Adriano: Portrait of a Fallen Emperor

"Du sublime au ridicule il n'y a qu'un pas", there is only one step from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Napoleon Bonaparte made this observation after being forced to retreat from Moscow in 1812. These words also ring true for another fallen Emperor, Adriano Leite Ribeiro, who was being touted as the best striker in the world only a few years ago but is now facing expulsion from his own club Inter Milan.

Adriano first exploded onto the scene during the 2002-03 season, scoring 18 goals in 26 appearances. The 21-year-old was a remarkable prospect, displaying deft touch, powerful shooting, and classic Brazilian dribbling skills coupled with a powerful frame and pace in abundance.

In short, the kid looked good.

At first, Adriano lived up to the hype, quickly assimilating himself into the Inter first team and making himself a key player, if not their most indispensable. At the peak of his powers, Adriano scored an impressive 40 goals between July 11th, 2004 and June 25th, 2005.

Heading into the 2006 World Cup, Adriano looked set to lead the star studded Brazil front-line to glory—but he flopped.

Excessive partying and a lackadaisical approach to training soon caught up with Adriano, leading to sub-par performances and widespread criticism. The crisis soon reached its climax though, when Adriano was dropped from the Brazil squad and was frozen out of the Inter squad.

A loan move to Brazil with Sao Paulo also started off badly, with Adriano arriving late to training sessions, headbutting an opponent, and arguing with a photographer. He gradually started returning to form, scoring 14 goals in 20 matches before being recalled to Inter under Jose Mourinho.

It looked as though Mourinho's strict guidance was having a positive effect on Adriano at first, with The Emperor making strong showings in Serie A and the Champions League. Recently, however, Adriano was sent home from training after showing up late after a night out on the town with Brazil teammate and fellow fallen star Ronaldinho. This incident has triggered reports of a January exit from the San Siro for Adriano.

Adriano is one of the most talented strikers of his generation and now has only two options—to ride off into the sunset and fade into the background, or to rise like a phoenix from the ashes and come back with a bang.

Only time will tell what becomes of Adriano Leite Ribeiro, but like Napoleon Bonaparte so eloquently put it, "Glory is fleeting but obscurity is forever."