When in

November 2006

, at just

18 years old

, the teenager

Marcelo Vieira

(Rio de Janeiro, 1988) accepted

Real Madrid

's offer , one of his first reactions was to send a letter of thanks to

Sevilla

, who had fought his signing for months .

A detail that explains the way of being of a footballer who,

16 years later

, is a legend of the

Santiago Bernabéu

and of world football.

On his shoulders,

24 titles

, with the unknown number 25 that he can lift next week in Paris.

The most in the history of Madrid.

More than

Paco Gento

(23), whom he surpassed with the last League, more than

Manolo Sanchís

and

Sergio Ramos

(22), more than

Karim Benzema

(21)... There are

4 Champions

Leagues ,

6 Leagues

, 2 Copas del Rey, 5 Spanish Super Cups, 4 Club World Cups and 3 European Super Cups.

A figure that will stop at the final whistle of the duel against

Liverpool

and that he will find tonight, with the minutes that

Carlo Ancelotti

will give him , the last ovation from

Chamartín

.

A stadium that has respected him in response to the respect that Marcelo has had for the club.

Silent before his substitutions, adviser to the youngsters, link between the coach and the dressing room and spark of the good atmosphere that reigns in

Valdebebas

, this season of Marcelo will be less remembered than his titles, but it is just as important.

At the club, aware and grateful for this, they already value offering him a place in the organization chart.

And it is that except for a change of opinion of the Madrid board, something that does not seem feasible with

Mendy

as a fixed on the side,

Nacho

as a patch and

Fran García or Miguel Gutiérrez

as future elections, Betis will be Marcelo's last visit to the Bernabéu as a first-team footballer.

The contract ends on June 30 and, despite the rumors of the last hours, which speak of a possible interest of the player in continuing for another year with a lower salary, the reality is that both parties have been assuming for months that the The Brazilian's stage in the madridista green is over.

And from there, he decides: hang up his boots or not.

If he doesn't, the

MLS

tempts him, like his former teammate

Gonzalo Higuain

, who is now at

Inter Miami

chaired by

David Beckham

.

The North American adventure has always interested the left-back, but the stability of his family in Madrid and the position of his son

De he Enzo

, 12, in the Valdebebas quarry make him think twice about things.

Enzo, in fact, appeared with his father at the presentation of the new Madrid shirt for the

22-23 season

, a "

tribute

", distilled by the club, to the Brazilian for almost two decades of unconditional love.

And it is that that "I just want to help Madrid" that he declared in his presentation has been becoming firmer every year, from his debut in A Coruña in January 2007 until May 20, 2022 that go go.

He was the replacement for

Roberto Carlos

, advanced his position to the extreme with Pellegrini, shared roles with

Fabio Coentrao during

Jose Mourinho

's command

, scored in the Décima, scored in the penalty shootout of the Undécima and assisted

Bale

in the famous

Chilean Kyiv

.

Statistics that have made him part of Madrid's golden generation and that only leave a small mole in his memory: the World Cup with Brazil.

He played in 2014 and 2018 and did not get to play in the final, the great dream of his childhood: «Before the 94 World Cup, everyone took to the streets to paint green, blue and yellow murals.

My friends and I painted

Ronaldo

's face on our street.

He was our hero

», He told a few years ago.

Decades later, Marcelo "only" has four (or five) Champions League left, that competition that he discovered at the age of 16 watching the

2003 final between Monaco and Porto

on television .

It's never too late...

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