Cristiano Ronaldo gave Marcelo, his former teammate at Real Madrid a massive farewell message as the Brazilian defender exits the Spanish giants after 16 seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu.
In some of the club’s most successful years, the two were clinical down the left side, and the current Manchester United ace wrote Marcelo an emotional note.
The message which was written in Portuguese (as both of them understand the language) reads;
“More than a teammate, a brother that football gave me. On and off the fields, one of the biggest stars with whom I had the pleasure of sharing a locker room. Go with everything on this new adventure, Marcelo!”
Since it was confirmed that the Brazilian iconic defender would leave Madrid this summer, his former teammates and captains have made a series of tributes to him.
In the same vein, former Real Madrid’s iconic goalkeeper, Iker Casillas could not help but pen a tribute to Marcelo. The Real Madrid and Spanish legend wrote:
“You arrived as a child. How many times I shouted “Marcelooooo, come back!” Thank you for being such a legend. A big hug my friend and all the best for the future.”
His Brazilian teammates, including those who will lead the future generation and other current teammates, also had their thoughts.
“Marcelo! Thanks for everything! Legend as the player with the most titles at the best club in the world,” Vincius Junior said.
“It was a pleasure to play and learn from you. Monster inside and outside. Eternal 12.”
“I can say that I have played with the best left-back of all time,” Toni Kroos posted.
Marcelo is widely recognized as one of the finest left-backs of all time, thanks to his offensive talents, trickery, and technical skills. With 25 championships, he is Real Madrid’s all-time most decorated player.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcelo at Madrid
Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcelo at Real Madrid won a total of 16 trophies, which are 4 UEFA Champions League, 3 Club World Cups, 3 UEFA Super Cups, and 2 La Liga titles, 2 Copa del Rey, and 2 Spanish Super Cups respectively.
Nobody has ever scored more goals for Real Madrid than the Portuguese striker, who played alongside his pal Marcelo, who has won four Champions League titles, three Club World Cups, and two UEFA Super Cups, as well as two LaLiga titles, two Copas del Rey, and two Spanish Super Cups.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcelo both helped Real Madrid to win:
- 4 European Cups
- 3 Club World Cups
- 3 UEFA Super Cups
- 2 LaLiga titles
- 2 Copas del Rey
- 2 Spanish Super Cups
Ronaldo and Marcelo’s Friendship
Marcelo and Cristiano Ronaldo spent nine years as Real Madrid teammates down the left-wing. They shared a telepathic connection similar to Dani Alves and Lionel Messi. Marcelo would overlap as Ronaldo drifted inside and knew exactly where to place the ball for his colleague to finish.
This positive on-field interaction blossomed into a great friendship off the field. Both players became leaders in the dressing room and vital members of Madrid’s team on the field as two of the team’s vice-captains.
Marcelo was asked four years ago to comment on rumors about Cristiano Ronaldo’s possible departure from Real Madrid.
“It does not worry me, because there are many things published by the press that aren’t true which is why I don’t understand why I ought to be concerned,” he said, speaking on the Brazilian TV as quoted by Be Soccer.
“He knows what is best for himself. As a friend, not only as a teammate, the decision he makes this year, next year or in a decade, I will be there to support him.
“The first time I saw Ronaldo we ended up fighting in an international fixture. But we have a very good relationship, not only on the pitch, also off it.
“He is a great professional, he also helps his teammates very much, and he is happy when a teammate scores or provides an assist.”
Marcelo is referring to a November 2008 friendly match between Brazil and Portugal in which he and Ronaldo were involved in a brawl, which resulted in a 6-2 victory for the South American team.
The following summer, Ronaldo joined Real Madrid, where he spent the next nine seasons playing alongside the fullback. Within a short while, they became close friends.
So you can imagine Marcelo’s disappointment when he learned that his friend and teammate was leaving for a new challenge at Juventus in 2018.
The Brazilian has now confessed that he didn’t learn of the startling news until just before Madrid’s 3-1 victory over Liverpool in the Champions League final in Kyiv last season.
“Damn, we were training for the final and he told me: ‘I’m leaving,” the left-back told Marca.
“I know I’ve lied to you previously about this, but it was because I had to,” Ronaldo explained, having made up his mind a long time before this talk.”
After the Champions League final, Ronaldo wasted no time in implying that he would be departing Spain.
He’d made similar remarks in the past, and he’d always gotten a hefty booster deal as a result. He wasn’t bluffing this time; he was truly off. And that caught everyone off guard, especially Marcelo.
“I had a very good relationship with Cristiano, his family, and his girlfriend,” he said.
