546 matches, 38 goals and 103 assists – these are Marcelo's statistics in Real Madrid, whose colors he defended in the years 2007-2022. A few years ago he was one of the best defenders in the world, and by many he is still considered the best left defender of the 21st century. His credits include, among others: five Champions League titles, six Spanish championships, three UEFA Super Cups and the Copa Libertadores trophy.
The Real Madrid legend came into conflict with the coach. The club's immediate reaction
In recent months, the Brazilian could not count on playing regularly for Fluminense, to which he returned after 16 years in February last year. He was clearly not happy with this fact, and his emotions escalated during Saturday's match against Gremio. The 36-year-old was supposed to appear on the pitch in added time, but a few moments earlier he had an argument with coach Mario Menezes.
According to The Sun, the coach was giving instructions to the player on the sideline when he suddenly started questioning everything. This infuriated Menezes, who canceled the substitution and ordered the player back to the bench. The defender didn't hide his surprise, but he didn't even protest too much, put on his marker and took his place on the bench. It didn't take long to see the consequences of such behavior.
A few hours later, Fluminense posted an official announcement stating that the contract with Marcelo had been terminated by mutual consent. “Institutional and emotional ties between both sides will continue to be maintained. The athlete's name was recently immortalized at the Xerem training center stadium. Thank you and we will always support him in all the challenges he faces,” it said.
The Brazilian's contract expired at the end of December, so he doesn't even have much to worry about, especially since the club did not plan to renew the contract. At the moment, it is not known whether he will want to continue his football career. It is possible that he will only support his son, who extended his contract with Real Madrid some time ago.
After 32 Serie A matches, Fluminense is in 12th place in the table with 37 points. The next match will be on Friday, November 8, when they will face Internacional away.