Luiz Adriano chose the No. 9, the number worn by Filippo Inzaghi and Marco van Basten. The number, like the team, has been let down in recent years, going to Pato, then Alessandro Matri and Mattia Destro. It was even left vacant for a brief time.
The burden of the No. 9 has turned into a cancer. Adriano doesn’t care.
“The number nine shirt has an incredible charm and it’s time for it to be scoring goals again,” Adriano told La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia).
It’s just a matter of how many goals he will score.