2. Adriano
A mercurial player if ever there was one, Adriano showed through his career both the good and the bad in the life of a footballer, enjoying great success and then plummeting to greater depths thereafter.
He won multiple league titles in both Italy and Brazil, as well as the Copa America and the Confederations Cup with the national side in his heyday (winning the best player’s award and the Golden Shoe in both tournaments).
However, he was also suspended and fired by a few of his clubs for missing training sessions and workouts, and at times didn’t look interested in the game, ‘winning’ the Bidone d’oro award for the worst player in the Serie A three times (2006, 2007, 2010).
Still only 31 years of age, Adriano would have had a few years of football left in him, had he not been looking like this: