After 16 years at Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid, where he won six Laliga titles and five Champions League trophies, former left-back Marcelo announced his retirement from professional football on Thursday.
At 18, Real Madrid came knocking on my door and I arrived here, Marcelo said in a social media video, adding, Now, I can proudly say that I am a true ‘Madrileno’. “What a journey. Real Madrid is a unique club.”
The 36-year-old Marcelo won the Copa del Rey twice and the Club World Cup four times while playing for Los Blancos, where he made 546 appearances and scored 38 goals.
In a statement, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez said, “We had the honor of watching one of the greatest left-backs in Real Madrid and world football history for a long time.”
“Real Madrid is and always will be his home, and he is one of our greatest legends.”
Marcelo played in the 2014 and 2018 World Cups, won the 2013 Confederations Cup, and has 58 appearances for the Brazilian national team.
He was a member of the teams that took home bronze in Beijing in 2008 and silver at the 2012 Olympics.
“It has also been a great honor to play for my country since the youth categories,” he continued.
Before moving to Real Madrid, Marcelo began his career with the Brazilian team Fluminense, as I recall.
After leaving the Santiago Bernabeu, he signed a contract with Olympiacos, a Greek team, but he left after just five months to return to Fluminense. Will always treasure a Confederations Cup and two Olympic medals.
In the 2023 final, Marcelo assisted his local team in defeating Boca Juniors to win the Copa Libertadores for the first time.
Last November, he quit the team by mutual consent, and he hasn’t played since.
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