Ronaldo, shut your mouth!

That is the request of Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini after AC Milan star Ronaldo came out and said that Adriano, “only needs help, protection, and to play”. This was prompted by Adriano’s recent attendance at a training camp in his native Brazil in a bid to regain full mental and physical fitness. The 25-year-old, once the most feared striker in Serie A, has hardly started a game in the last two seasons after battling alcohol and fitness problems.

Mancini has taken offence to these remarks and retorted that Ronaldo “spoke about something he does not know and it would be much better if he stayed quiet!” Meanwhile, it looks like Adriano is the runaway favourite to win this year’s Bidone d’Oro (Golden Bin) award in Italy. The annual award, which was started in 2003 by Radio2 Catersport, is handed to the Serie A player judged to have been the worst player over the past season. Adriano won the dreaded prize last year after a nightmare campaign, and is likely to receive it again following a similarly miserable past 12 months. Adriano was linked with a move away from the San Siro in the close season but refused to go out on loan despite interest from former club Parma and English club West Ham United. The striker has since said he is now willing to go anywhere in the January transfer window with somed media reports naming West Ham’s Premier League rivals Arsenal and Manchester City as possible destinations.