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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