Marcelo thinks that his Real Madrid career is far from done, but even if it is, he will be recognized as one of the club's icons.
Marcelo has a tattoo on his left leg that is visible until he ties his shorts, just above the knee. A depiction of the European Cup is tattooed on his skin. Below are four numerals, four years, and four historical moments: 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2018. There's just enough room for one more, which could come in handy when Real Madrid captain Cristiano Ronaldo plays his farewell game for the club on Saturday night, and it's another European Cup final. There's one more date that needs to be m
He's not being forced to do anything. Oh, wait, he's the one. When Marcelo was told on Tuesday afternoon that he's a guy who never seems to feel scared, he replied, "Eh? You could think, "Who told you that?" He then laughed once more, but this time he was serious, and he was serious. Expectations and pressures are always present, he said, and the fact that he has appeared in four Champions League finals doesn't change that. "That means nothing in a final like this," he insisted. "In every final, we've had to almost die on the pitch, and this will be no different." "We have to put our hearts and souls out there."
That is, assuming he is able to make it onto the field. Marcelo started against Espanyol a fortnight ago, leading out the team that had just won LaLiga, and came on against Real Betis on the final weekend as a reward rather than a requirement: a chance to say goodbye to the Santiago Bernabeu, which stood and applauded him when he was introduced and the captain's armband was slipped over his arm for the final time.
It was only his seventh start in LaLiga this season versus Espanyol. In three appearances as a substitute in the Champions League, he has only played 99 minutes. It's not only this season: in the previous three seasons, he's appeared in the league 15 times, 16 times, and 12 times. When Marcelo turned 34 in May, Isco wished him a happy birthday on social media, along with a photo of the two of them on the pitch together. Isco observed that finding a picture of us playing was difficult.
Santi Solari, Zinedine Zidane, and Carlo Ancelotti all believed Marcelo was no longer the best option, if not the second. Sergio Reguilon, Miguel Gutierrez, and Ferland Mendy have all been given a chance to play left-back ahead of him for some time. Others were deployed in his stead when he was unavailable, including David Alaba, Nacho, and even Eduardo Camavinga. Marcelo's involvement has waned, as has confidence in him.
To be honest, it's been easy to forget that Marcelo was still alive, and even to wonder how he survived. As demonstrated by the stats, he has a deficiency in that area. He won't be here much longer. He could have retired sooner, but his career comes to an end in this final.
Despite his desire to play, his contract is coming to an end, and he has had no offer to extend it. He would want to continue, even if it meant a reduced income, a minor role, possibly even partially pastoral. This week, he was telling about one day lying on his couch at home, watching these kids play and saying to himself, "They're good." He's also thinking about how he might help them get there.
But not right now. His departure has been postponed, or at least sought to be postponed. He's received the idea that his time with the club is coming to an end when he's not ready to depart, and he's not happy about it. During the Betis game, there was a fantastic moment when Joaquin raced at him; looking at the shot, it could have happened at any point since 2007. After that game, though, there was no formal farewell, not least because he doesn't believe it is a farewell at all. When asked what would happen next, he responded this week, "Do you know what's going to happen tomorrow?"
"No." "Neither do I," says the narrator. "Thus..."
"Do you know what you're looking for?" says the narrator.
"Yes. "I'm confident that I know what I'm doing." "I'm fairly certain I understand what I'm doing."
"Are you sure you want to stay?" says the narrator.
"I've told you 50,000 times," says the narrator, "but you'll find out.
Whatever happens, the final will be the most important. This is his fifth year in the program.
Ancelotti thought Fabio Coentrao was a better alternative, therefore Marcelo didn't start the first of them, but he came on after an hour and scored. "It was an outpouring of happiness," he said. "I'm not sure what it is; it's hard to explain," you say as a film from your childhood plays in your head for five seconds. It's completely ridiculous." In the other three, he played every minute and scored in a shootout in Milan in 2016. He'll be fit, but because he didn't show up for training at the start of the week, it's plausible, even likely, that he won't play a minute in Paris.
Which makes devoting these sentences to him odd, but if this is the end, it is a moment worth remembering. We're talking about Real Madrid's greatest left-back of all time.
Some of you may be putting your foot through the screen at this time. "No, we're not!" some of you may exclaim. After all, this is the former club of Roberto Carlos. It's possible that you're accurate. However, the fact that a case can be presented at all supports the argument. Marcelo's influence may be seen in the fact that he is listed alongside Roberto Carlos, the man he had the difficult task of succeeding in replacing. Getting back to his leg:
There have been four European Cups won.
That is better than Roberto Carlos. Marcelo has also played 546 games, compared to 527 for Roberto Carlos. Karim Benzema is the only foreign-born Real Madrid player to have played in more games. Marcelo is in his 16th season, which doesn't happen very often. (Even if his detractors may have felt the same way at times in recent seasons.) "I live in the moment," he says, "and this is one of them: being a part of the best club on the planet for so many years." A total of 38 goals, 103 assists, and various awards have been given.
Paco Gento will become the only player in history to win more European Cups if he wins on Saturday. Marcelo had already surpassed Gento in big awards — there was a lovely moment not long ago, a glimpse of Marcelo's pride, when he and a radio journalist argued over whether the two were truly level or if he was ahead. The club and the radio reporter, unlike others, had included The Small Club World Cup from 1956. Marcelo's annoyance indicated how much he loves his legacy and history.
There will be no more disagreements if you win on Saturday. In any case, he holds a total of 24 trophies, including six league titles and four European Cups. In Madrid's history, no one has ever had more. If this is to be the final chapter, it should be marked as a watershed moment.
A legacy is defined by more than just the numbers, but they do help to create a case. It's all about his playing style. The approach, as well as the personality. Despite the fact that this is a serious sector, having fun is frowned upon, I had the impression that this was something to enjoy. It's almost as though you're not supposed to smile or have fun. Marcelo questioned it and refused to conform, and for that he should be proud. He isn't your typical aggressive full-back who flies up the flanks. His game included coming inside, getting a touch on the ball, and playing five-a-side. It was both entertaining and original.
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