I’d have won Ballon d’Or but football slipped through my fingers – I didn’t want to earn so much while not performing

FORMER Brazil star Adriano has opened up over his startling fall from grace, admitting he could have won the Ballon d’Or if not for his hasty decline as a footballer.

Adriano, 43, once had the world at his fingertips after bursting onto the scene with Flamengo in 2000.

He became a household name when he joined Inter Milan four years later, becoming one of world football’s most formidable strikers while winning three Serie A titles.

Adriano, whose son plays in Portugal, also achieved stardom with Brazil’s national team by forming an incredible attack alongside Ronaldinho, Kaka and Ronaldo Nazario.

But following the 2006 World Cup, Adriano’s form quickly declined and he began suffering numerous fitness problems due to his partying lifestyle.

Adriano later admitted that the death of his father in 2004 saw him enter a cycle of depression and alcohol abuse.

And his career was never the same again despite playing for the likes of Roma, Corinthians and boyhood club Flamengo once more.

Adriano, who retired in 2016, has since described himself as “football’s biggest waste.”

And now, the icon believes he would have “won the Ballon d’Or with the mind I had today.”

He told Amazon Prime Video: “I wasn’t in a good place mentally. After my father died, football slipped through my fingers.

“I went out to avoid thinking and the next day I was worse. I didn’t do what I did because I wanted to party or let loose; I did it because I had a heavy heart.”

Adriano also thanked Inter Milan for offering him professional help – which he did not accept at the time.

He continued: “They offered me admission to a specialised centre because I was depressed.

“But I didn’t understand that I needed help. I thought what I was doing was normal, it was a big mistake.

“(Former Inter president Massimo Moratti) always offered me everything in his power to help  me, but I didn’t accept it. I made a mistake.”

Adriano also felt guilty at receiving huge wages while being unavailable to play, leading to his decision to quit Inter in 2009.

He added: “I spoke with Moratti and told him I accepted any sanctions they might impose on me.

“I didn’t want to continue earning a high salary without being able to perform. I didn’t have the brains to continue.

“I’ve always said I could have done more but that wasn’t the case. Things happened that held me back.”