So now, how am I not going to enjoy myself when I have everything? I mean, being lucky enough to have a career, to play football which is what I like the most, to be healthy, for my family to be healthy and stable. Marcelo: I think the most important thing was to be able to enjoy myself when I had nothing. So I'm lucky.ĮSPN: What did you learn from your childhood? But my parents, my grandparents, my aunts and uncles, never let me want for anything. It wasn't easy, we didn't have everything that I wanted. The truth is I was lucky to be able to enjoy my childhood. I have my friends who've been my real friends since I was little. I had a lot of fun as a kid, I had a lot of fun with my family. Marcelo: It was tough, like a lot of kids who want to be footballers. Earlier this year, he spoke to ESPN's Martin Ainstein about leaving Madrid, winning trophies, gifted teammates and future plans.Įditor's note: This interview has been lightly edited for content and clarity. The Brazilian remains closely connected to Madrid as his eldest son, Enzo, is one of the jewels of the academy, scoring goals for fun for the under-14s. Roberto Carlos called him the greatest left-back of all time, and who are we to argue? At his peak, Marcelo was as creative, dynamic and unpredictable a full-back as Madrid had ever seen, a playmaker disguised as a defender. Still, he was named club captain in 2021 when Ramos left, and after a year on the bench, lifted the LaLiga and Champions League trophies for one last time, confirming his departure after Madrid's 1-0 win over Liverpool in Paris in May.ĭon't let his last years at the Bernabeu, when fitness was an issue and starts were few, fool you. The message was clear: Marcelo's days were numbered. When Zidane returned in 2019, he personally requested the signing of Ferland Mendy. Santiago Solari dropped him for Sergio Reguilon, the Brazilian singled out as one of several senior players who needed to step aside for a new generation. He was key to the 2016 final win - scoring in the penalty shootout - and in the 20 finals, with assists in both, by then established as one of coach Zinedine Zidane's most trusted lieutenants.įrom there, his role diminished. Even an early highlight - his goal in the 2014 Champions League final, putting Real 3-1 up against Atletico Madrid in extra time - came after he was introduced as a second-half substitute.īy the time Madrid's next Champions League trophies came around, there was no doubting Marcelo's place in the team. Marcelo had to overcome doubts from coaches - Juande Ramos and Manuel Pellegrini picked him further up the pitch to minimise his defensive responsibilities - and competition from teammates viewed as more reliable, like Gabriel Heinze and Fabio Coentrao. The road to becoming Madrid captain and a club legend wasn't easy, either. The shadow of the great Roberto Carlos, then in his final season at the club, loomed large.
He arrived in Madrid in January 2007 and it wasn't an easy move for an 18-year-old Brazilian to make. Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more 10, just as likely to appear in the opposition box as he would defending his own. In terms of the position Marcelo played, "left-back" never did him justice either. Only 11 players in Madrid's long and storied history have played more than Marcelo's 546 games for the club, and there's only one non-Spanish player among them: again, Benzema. Karim Benzema is next on the list with 24. The left-back won a club record 25 trophies - six LaLiga titles, five Champions Leagues, two Copas del Rey, five Spanish Supercopas, three UEFA Super Cups and four Club World Cups - in 16 years at Madrid before joining Olympiakos in the summer (he's since left the Greek club). It's Marcelo Vieira da Silva Junior: you know him as Marcelo. The most successful player in Real Madrid's history isn't Alfredo Di Stefano, Raul Gonzalez, Sergio Ramos or Cristiano Ronaldo.
Marcelo on his Real Madrid legacy, his 25 trophies, and which teammates most surprised him
#Marcelo football story upgrade#
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