Real Madrid legend decides to leave the club in 2022 - Reports
Marcelo is reportedly set to leave Real Madrid after the end of the season. The Brazilian is looking to move back to his home country and play for Fluminense if reports are to be believed.
According to Brazilian newspaper Lance, Marcelo has decided to end his European football career at Real Madrid.
Marcelo has been the first-team captain at Santiago Bernabeu since Sergio Ramos was released in the summer. The left-back has not been at his best lately, and Carlo Ancelotti has been using Ferland Mendy and Miguel Gutierrez, even when the Brazilian is available.
🚨| According to Brazilian sources Marcelo has decided to leave Real Madrid at the end of the season. He would go to Brazil: Fluminense want him. @diarioas https://t.co/I1wgcQnU8W
The 33-year-old defender started his career at Fluminense before moving to Real Madrid in 2007. He has played for the Blancos ever since but has been linked with an exit to Juventus in the past few seasons.
Lance claims Marcelo wants to retire from football soon and sees a return to Fluminense as the best way to end his career.
Carlo Ancelotti counting on Marcelo at Real Madrid
Carlo Ancelotti returned to Real Madrid in the summer and has been vocal about using the veteran players at the club. While other managers look to sell players heading towards the end of their careers, the Italian instead wants to use their experience in crunch games.
“I’ve really enjoyed finding those two things: the quality among the youngsters, many of whom I didn’t know very well, and, above all, the hunger and commitment from the likes of Carvajal, Nacho, Marcelo, Lucas Vázquez and Isco, who’ve won it all in recent years and still have great desire, excitement and hunger to have a good season, which is what we’re all looking to do," Ancelotti told the club’s official TV channel during the pre-season.
“We have to take the club’s history into account," he added. "As a team, we have to play well and show the quality we’ve got out on the pitch. We also have to play a high-energy, high-intensity game, both with and without the ball, which is what the modern game requires of you: high intensity both on and off the ball.”
Real Madrid currently sit second in the La Liga table, a point behind Real Sociedad, but have a game in hand.