Milan, Dec. 13: AS Roma striker Adriano won Italy’s infamous Golden Bin award for a third time on Monday after again being voted Serie A’s worst player by fans.
The burly Brazilian, given the Rai Radio 2 prize by listeners in 2006 and 2007 while playing for Inter Milan, returned to Italy with Roma at the start of the season after a stint at Brazil’s Flamengo but has made only three appearances.
Injury and coach Claudio Ranieri’s preference for Francesco Totti, Marco Borriello and Mirko Vucinic mean opportunities have been limited for the 28-year-old, with media reports already linking him with a January move away.
Adriano has battled alcohol and personal problems in the past but excitedly joined cash-strapped Roma in June only for the up-for-sale club to loan Borriello from AC Milan two months later.
Rai said in a statement that Adriano received almost double the votes of inconsistent Juventus and Italy forward Amauri in second while Milan’s Brazilian Ronaldinho was third having mainly warmed the bench of late.
Last year Juventus’s Brazil midfielder Felipe Melo won the Golden Bin, a parody on the Golden Ball (Ballon D’Or) award given to the world’s best soccer player.