Football: Adriano to leave Corinthians

SAO PAULO: Adriano is set to leave Brazilian championship club Corinthians by mutual consent, a move that could signal the end of the troubled striker’s career. The former Inter Milan and Brazil forward joined Corinthians last year after a disastrous, injury-ravaged stint at Serie A club AS Roma, pledging to regain his Brazil spot for the 2014 World Cup on home soil. However, he suffered a serious Achilles injury within days of training and has managed just seven appearances for the Sao Paulo club, scoring two goals. With reports of his weight ballooning to 220 pounds, the final straw for Corinthians manager Tite came last week when Adriano skipped training and refused to let the club doctor weigh him.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 14^th, 2012.