Inter cancel Adriano's contract

Adriano decided not to return to Italy earlier this month

Inter Milan have cancelled the contract of their unsettled Brazilian striker Adriano.

The 27-year-old announced earlier this month that he was taking a break from the game and would stay in Brazil to rethink his career.

In a statement, Inter thanked the player for "his 74 goals and the eight years we spent together."

The move was widely expected with his contract with the club due to run out at the end of next season.

Adriano did not return to Italy after Brazil's World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Peru, in which he was an unused substitute.

He said at the time: "I've lost the happiness of playing. I wouldn't like to go back to Italy, I want to live in peace here in Brazil.

"I don't know if I'm going to stay for one, two or three months without playing."

Adriano joined Inter in 2001 but had loan spells with Fiorentina for the first half of 2002, then Parma (late 2002 to January 2004) and finally Sao Paulo (in the first half of 2008).

He played 177 times for Inter, scoring 48 goals in 123 league appearances and 18 in 35 European matches and won the Serie A title in 2006, 2007 and 2008 as well as two Italian Cups.