Suspended Marcelo allowed to return Real Madrid

Brazil has allowed suspended full back Marcelo to return early from international duty to Real Madrid.

Marcelo was booked during Thursday's resounding 3-0 win over bitter rival Argentina and is now unavailable to face Peru, having also collected a caution against Colombia in September.

Head coach Tite has called up Atletico Mineiro left back Fabio Santos as Marcelo's replacement.

All three of the 31-year-old's previous caps for Brazil came in 2012.

Marcelo will now begin preparations for the Madrid derby next Saturday.

More games: friv

Marcelo and Casemiro absences will hurt Real

It's been a difficult start to the new season in terms of injuries for Real Madrid and it is about to get even more challenging with Marcelo and Casemiro's respective absences likely to hurt the club significantly.

Both players are key elements in Zinedine Zidane's system at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu with the former Sao Paulo midfielder used as a fantastic shielding presence in front of the defensive line.

Casemiro underwent tests on Thursday and he will be out significantly longer than his national compatriot with it revealed he suffered a fracture in the middle of his left fibula.

Marcelo on the other hand will take the same tests on Friday to determine the length of his absence however it isn't thought he will miss any more than the next three fixtures in all competitions.

He has suffered a small fibre tear in his right calf with the clash against Athletic Club on October 23 the most realistic return date for the left-back.

One of the factors that have the potential to make these injuries all the more damaging for the team is the fact there is no like for like replacement at either position.

At present Toni Kroos looks the most likely to return to the deeper midfield role where he is effective but he certainly doesn't welcome playing so deep.

Fabio Coentrao is struggling with fitness issues of his own after a serious muscle injury suffered during his loan spell with Monaco last season.

The Portuguese full-back would be the natural replacement for Marcelo but at the moment it looks as if Nacho or Danilo will be forced to deputise with Coentrao not scheduled to return until the middle of October.

Marcelo’s two goals lead Real Madrid to 3-2 victory over Chelsea at Michigan Stadium

Real Madrid and Chelsea squared off at Michigan Stadium, which had an attendance of 105,826. Marcelo Vieira Da Silva scored two early goals to lead Real Madrid to a 3-2 victory in the International Champions Cup.

Willian took a free kick and sent the ball into John Terry just three minutes into the game. The veteran defender almost put the ball in the back of the net, but missed. Chelsea controlled the game early, but a few mistakes left them scoreless.

In the 19th minute, Marcelo dribbled past two defenders and pulled a shot with his right foot. The ball deflected off Oscar and into the goal to give Real Madrid a 1-0 lead. Chelsea keeper Asmir Begovic could not do anything about that shot on net.

Marcelo did it again in the 26th minute, but this time with his dominant left foot. The captain defender got a pass from a teammates and blew past Chelsea defenders Gary Cahill and Nemanja Matic to make for an easy finish. The second goal of the afternoon for Marcelo gave Real Madrid a 2-0 edge.

Seven passes allowed the ball to fall at the feet of Mariano Diaz at the 37th minute. The 22-year-old fired a shot from about 30 yards out past the arms of Begovic for a 3-0 lead in favor of Real Madrid.

Bertrand Traore, Pedro and Gary Cahill, all members of Chelsea, picked up yellow cards in the first half. In the second half, a yellow card was handed to Real Madrid’s Carlos Enrique Casimiro and Enzo Zidane.

After the first half of action, Chelsea brought on new keeper Thibault Courtois to replace the struggling Begovic. The team also brought on Juan Cuadrado, Nathaniel Chalobah and Michy Batschuayi. Real Madrid’s only replacement was Danilo Luiz Da Silva for Daniel Carvajal.

Chelsea had their best chance in the 59th minute as Cassila was out of position. However, the shot was blocked by Real Madrid defender Jose Fernandez (Nacho) to save a goal.

Eden Hazard made his preseason debut for Chelsea in the 64th minute as he entered the game for Pedro. Hazard logged four goals and three assists for Chelsea in the 2015-16 Premier League season. During the same time frame as Hazard, six substitutes entered the game for Real Madrid.

16 minutes after checking into the game, Hazard got Chelsea on the board with a goal in the 80th minute. The 25-year-old raced to a long pass, dribbled past the keeper and finished the shot to cut Chelsea’s deficit to two goals.

Hazard scored another goal in stoppage time, but it was not enough to pull off the comeback and Real Madrid escaped with a 3-2 victory.

The match between Real Madrid and Chelsea brought in the second-largest amount of people to a soccer game on United States soil. The largest was the game between Manchester United and Real Madrid at Michigan Stadium on August 2, 2014.

Real suffer in long hot summer

Euro 2016 and the special centenary edition of the Copa America will take their toll on Real Madrid this summer with 10 stars on international duty.

After a long season finishing with the triumphant Champions League win, the players headed off to France or America to take up their place within their national squads.

The USA competition ends on June 27 while the month-long tournament in France has only just kicked off so a good slice of the squad could be reporting late for pre-season training with the added problem that many of them could be in need of a rest.

Altogether, 10 star players are involved in summer campaigns - Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lucas Vazquez, Gareth Bale, Casemiro and James Rodriguez.

Their season kicks off on August 9 with the chance of winning their first title in the UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla, and La Liga starting two weeks later.

For various reasons, Zinedine Zidane does have seven international players left at his disposal.

Karim Benzema was left out of the France squad for non-footballing reasons, as he is alleged to be caught up in a sex-tape blackmail scandal involving fellow Frenchman Mathieu Valbuena.

Raphael Varane's thigh injury ruled him out of the Champions League final and the competition in France.

Marcelo Vieira would have been fit to join Brazil in America but he does not have a good relationship with the coach Dunga and was left off of the final list.

Danilo put his club before his country and took the chance to have an operation on his injured right ankle during the summer.

Keylor Navas also put Los Blancos first to have surgery on his Achilles tendon which has been troubling him all season.

Isco's condition and his lack of chances on the pitch have had the knock-on effect of being left at home.

Everyone assumed he would be picked for Spain after making it on to the initial list but Vicente del Bosque ruled him out of the final selection.

Dani Carvajal picked up an injury in the Milan final so missed out on a place with La Roja.

Kenya: Ze Maria Wants Impressive 'Marcelo' to Remain at Gor Amidst AFC Interest

Nairobi — After the match against Sofapaka on Wednesday afternoon in Kisumu, Gor Mahia's 18-year old left back Erick 'Marcelo' Ouma will be out of contract.

However, head coach Jose Marcello 'Ze Maria' Ferreira has said he would want the Kakamega High School alumni to be part of his squad for the second leg saying he still has a lot to offer the club and is not in any mood to let him go.

"I have talked to the club, they know what I want and I have let them know I want Eric to remain with us. He is a very good player with a bright future and I would not want to lose his services before the season ends," 'Ze Maria' told Capital Sport.

Ouma has been impressive having completely taken over as the preferred left back choice ahead of experienced Rwandese international Abouba Sibomana.

He put up a man-of-the-match performance on Sunday evening as Gor dispatched Mathare United 2-0 and his every touch of the ball was cheered loudly by the Gor faithful who took to social media to lavish the youngster with praise.

Gor's arch rivals AFC Leopards have been trailing the left back with the aim of luring him over to the den but with the love being shown on him by the green army, he is most likely going to pen a new deal with the 15-time league champions.

"It is true, Leopards approached me saying they want to sign me, but I have not committed anything to them. We have been talking to Gor and they have tabled an offer. I am still looking at it and if we agree on the terms, I wouldn't mind staying over. However I just want a short term contract probably six months or one year at most," Ouma said.

Capital Sport understands the youngster has a pending European offer and a long term contract would jeopardize the deal.

He has been called up to the senior national team for the very first time and will have to compete with returnee Aboud Omar. Ouma, nick-named Marcelo after Real Madrid's Brazilian left back Marcelo Vieira da Silva Júnior believes he can make the national team left back position permanently his.

"I believe in myself, that is the biggest thing. What has been pushing me is working hard and the coach showing faith in me each game," Ouma opined.

Meanwhile, 'Ze Maria' is confident that his side can successfully defend the SportPesa Premier League title after rising from the ashes to move to within two points of leaders Tusker FC.

If they win against Sofapaka on Wednesday in Kisumu and Tusker loses to Leopards in Machakos on the same day then they will finish the first leg top of the standings.

"I think it is not much of what I have done. It is these players who should be praised. I have a very good group of players who work hard and push themselves and they use the small keys I give them to unlock their potential," Ze Maria said.

"We are playing well, improving daily and we put in a good performance against a big team, Mathare United and it is such victories that will make us defend our title," the Brazilian tactician added.

He has at the same time hinted at possible additions in the June transfer window, though ruling out massive changes. Among the areas he wants to strengthen is his striking force with Gor's former striker Meddie Kagere topping the list.

Though the coach says he has never watched Kagere play, he admits to have received good reports about his single season donning the green and white of Gor last season.

Opposition 11: Who will NYCFC start against D.C. United on Sunday?

After some unusual choices, Patrick Vieira's side has settled on a consistent formation

Most of the time, these pieces covering D.C. United's next opponent refer to a pretty familiar formation, with an emphasis on possession, or pressure, or direct play being the real difference. That isn't the case with New York City FC, whose head coach Patrick Vieira has been unafraid to attempt new things all season. He spent plenty of time in the preseason sending NYCFC out in an old-fashioned W-M formation (we'd call it a 3223 today), and then when the games got real he tweaked it into what most resembled a 3241. It made an otherwise pretty weak NYCFC roster worth watching, at least.

However, in the past month, Vieira has stuck with the more common 433. It's easy to see why: NYCFC doesn't have the defenders to effectively play out of a back three, and when push comes to shove it's hard to do anything with six midfielders except be bogged down in the midfield. At first, this formation still retained some strange traits (namely, a midfield trio in which Andrea Pirlo and Mix Diskerud were tasked with significant defensive duties), but of late Vieira has started to make a little more sense. The 433 has a proper #6 - Federico Bravo - protecting the back four, and Pirlo being stationary has become less of an issue.

Here's how it should look this weekend:

Josh Saunders will start in goal, and that's good news for United. Saunders was already not that great of a goalkeeper in the best of times, and right now he seems to have no confidence whatsoever. His decision-making process has seen him out of position a few times, and he's let in more than his fair share of soft goals. The Black-and-Red need to make sure they're testing him early and often.

Right back has been a problem for NYCFC. Spanish veteran Andoni Iraola was signed last year to be the starter, but has spent more time injured than not. RJ Allen, after recovering from an injury of his own, scored against Montreal only to depart injured less than 20 minutes later. The ankle sprain he suffered against the Impact will keep him out on Sunday.

That leaves former United homegrown defender Ethan White, who as DC fans likely recall is not really a right back. He can fill in, but in terms of technique he's not that comfortable coming forward and putting in crosses. As a natural center back, White is also not particularly smooth in terms of judging angles as a right back. United might not be able to beat him athletically down the flank, but they should be able to pull him out of position.

Central defense is also a problem, though at least in this case the Pigeons have some natural fits to call on. Frenchman Frederic Brillant arrived after spending some time at lesser Belgian clubs, and has not looked like a diamond in the rough since joining NYCFC. The speed of play in MLS seems to catch him off-guard a handful of times a game, and he doesn't have any particularly great physical gifts to cover it up.

Partnering him is MLS veteran Jason Hernandez. Hernandez has decent speed and plenty of MLS experience, but he's been the kind of player who starts for bad teams in this league for a long time. It's mostly down to his positioning and judgment. They're not outright bad, but they're not good either. As a result, the Light Blues are vulnerable to attacks up the middle (though targeting Brillant is the better idea).

United fans may remember Ronald Matarrita, NYCFC's left back. Last year, in the CONCACAF Champions League, the Black-and-Red found Matarrita more or less unstoppable playing left midfield for Alajuelense. However, the energetic young Costa Rican is more at home as a left back. He will attack frequently, as Vieira does not ask his team to play conservatively even on the road. However, that has left the space behind Matarrita exposed more than once this season, and United will look to feed Patrick Nyarko quickly after turnovers.

Bravo has taken over as the anchor midfielder, and it's easy to see why. Bravo is a pure, natural #6 who anticipates play and does what he can to protect the flimsy NYCFC back four. Bravo - like Luciano Acosta, a loanee from Boca Juniors - has little interest in breaking forward or opening up the game himself. Instead, he wants to keep things simple, win the ball, and feed Pirlo (or, if he's covered, someone else nearby).

Speaking of Pirlo, the Italian is still as precise as ever with his passing over distance and his free kick service. Giving him time on the ball, or handing out cheap free kicks, is a recipe for disaster. However, Pirlo comes with a big risk: He doesn't really run or tackle any more, and he'll play left of center in part to benefit from being around the energy of Matarrita. Don't be surprised if United sets Marcelo Sarvas up in this general area in order for the Brazilian to take advantage of the space that results from Pirlo's stationary nature.

Mikey Lopez fills out the midfield, and that's a direct result of needing someone to do some extra running with Pirlo on the field. Lopez is probably no better than the fifth or sixth best midfielder on the NYCFC roster, but he's on the field because he fits a very specific need. Vieira needs someone that won't stop running, and that's Lopez's main attribute. He probably won't make anything happen going forward, but he will try to help connect the front line with the rest of the midfield when possible.

On the right wing, Vieira seems to be leaning towards Khiry Shelton of late. However, he has also given Steven Mendoza plenty of time (even though Mendoza may be better on the left) lately, and Tony Taylor has also put together nearly 400 minutes on the season. Why such a jumble? All three players are young, fast, and very raw. Shelton may have the most promise of the group, and Mendoza is the best dribbler, but all three are very incomplete players. That said, Taylor Kemp can't be caught cheating forward, as he won't be able to catch up to anyone in this trio.

The Pigeons are basically only as good as David Villa can make them be. The Spanish veteran is pouring himself into every minute of every game as a center forward, and he was SB Nation's player of the week based on his two-goal performance last Saturday. Villa doesn't have much in the way of size, and he's not even that fast any more. How is he still one of MLS's most dangerous forwards? Villa has tremendous soccer IQ and vision off the ball, and he's a razor sharp finisher. United is going to have to be extremely organized and aware of Villa at all times, as giving him even one half-chance is trouble.

On the left, former United midfielder Thomas McNamara - hey, those three offseason weeks between the Chivas USA dispersal draft and the 2014 MLS expansion draft count - has transitioned from a spot in central midfield to the left forward role in Vieira's 433. Aside from inspiring a cult-like allegiance, McNamara is a problem-solver who will often drop off the forward line early in the play to combine before then trying to push into the box as the second scoring threat. He's an inventive, resourceful player, and Sean Franklin will have to be sharp to keep him disconnected from the rest of the team.

Off the bench, Vieira will call on Frank Lamp...haha, just kidding. Frank Lampard will be enjoying the fruits of his gigantic paycheck back home in England while this game is going on. Instead, look for Mendoza to come in as one of the wide forwards as the first sub option. Diskerud has fallen out of favor in part because NYCFC can't hide his lack of defensive impact in a midfield that already carries Pirlo, but he has been getting into games off the bench.

The third sub could go a lot of different ways: Kwadwo Poku could replace Lopez if NYCFC wants to push for a goal late, but with McNamara available to do that as well, Poku might not make the trip. Former Maryland striker Patrick Mullins could come on as a center forward, with Villa moving to the left. Last week against Vancouver, Vieira moved to a 541 in the final minutes to protect a lead, bringing in right back Iraola for Pirlo and asking his wide forwards to push back into the midfield.

Marcelo, Modric return to Real Madrid training

Madrid, Mar 3 (EFE) .- Real Madrid's Brazilian Marcelo Vieira and Croatian Luka Modric, who missed their side's Wednesday clash against Levante, returned to the training session on Thursday.

The Spanish club announced that Marcelo, who was absent from the La Liga derby against Atletico Madrid, made "a welcome return to the group."

"Luka Modric completed running drills with his teammates and specific exercises out on the training pitch with Alvaro Arbeloa," said the Whites' official website.

French forward Karim Benzema was the only player who did not complete running exercises, as he still needs at least two weeks to recover from his physical problems.

Real Madrid players who started against Levante worked indoors, while the rest of the squad, including Welshman Gareth Bale, completed the session on the pitch.

Sergio Ramos and Dani Carvajal, who did not appear in Wednesday's 3-1 victory due to suspension, participated in the session.

Zidane depended in training on Borja Mayoral, who scored Madrid's second goal against Levante in his first start with the first team, as well as Norwegian Martin Odegaard and Marcos Llorente.

Real's Marcelo sidelined by thigh muscle strain

Real Madrid's woes deepened on Monday when tests confirmed Brazil fullback Marcelo damaged a thigh muscle in Saturday's 4-0 defeat to Barcelona in the La Liga 'Clasico'.

Marcelo, who had to come off in the 59th minute of the humiliating reverse at the Bernabeu, has not been included in the squad for the trip to play Shakhtar Donetsk in Champions League Group A on Wednesday.

Real did not say how long he might be sidelined but local media reported he would be out for two or three weeks.

Real captain and centre back Sergio Ramos was also left out of the squad for the Shakhtar game, when the 2014 winners and record 10-times continental champions can make sure of top spot in the section having already qualified for the last 16.

Ramos, a Spain international, has been struggling with a shoulder injury but played the whole of the 'Clasico'.

Real coach Rafa Benitez, under pressure after the drubbing from Barca, is taking just five recognised defenders to Ukraine.

Pepe is likely to start alongside Raphael Varane in the middle, with Daniel Carvajal and Nacho at right and left back respectively.

Keylor, Carvajal, Marcelo & Benzema back in the mix

Real Madrid's Keylor Navas, Dani Carvajal, Marcelo Vieira and Karim Benzema all return to the fold for the Clásico. There are however no places in the squad for Álvaro Arbeloa, Nacho Fernández and Denis Cheryshev.

For the second time this term, the Madrid-born boss had a fully fit squad to chose from, forcing him to leave three players out. The return to fitness of Keylor Navas, Carvajal, Marcelo and Benzema means that Arbeloa, Nacho and Cheryshev will be limited to a watching brief at the Bernabéu.

Benítez still has two further decisions on which other players will miss out, having named an initial 20-man squad. The squad list in full is: Keylor Navas, Casilla, Yáñez, Ramos, Pepe, Varane, Carvajal, Danilo y Marcelo, Kroos, Casemiro, Isco, Kovacic, Modric, James, Bale Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema, Lucas Vázquez y Jesé.

Real Madrid's Marcelo suffers muscle contraction in left thigh

Madrid, Nov 5 (EFE) .- Real Madrid's Brazilian left back Marcelo Vieira, who was injured in Tuesday's Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain, suffers a "muscle contraction in his left thigh," the Spanish club announced on Thursday in a statement on its official website.

"Following the tests carried out on Marcelo in the Sanitas la Moraleja University Hospital, the player has been diagnosed with a muscle contraction in his left thigh,' the statement said.

"His recovery will continue to be assessed," the statement noted.

The 30-year-old Brazilian international had to leave the field during Tuesday's match after 33 minutes as he felt discomfort in his thigh.

Marcelo will miss Sunday's La Liga match against Sevilla at the Sanchez Pizjuan stadium.

Real Madrid's Marcelo Vieira suffers muscle spasm in left thigh

Madrid: Real Madrid's Brazilian left back Marcelo Vieira suffered a "muscle contraction in his left thigh", the Spanish football club has announced in a statement on its official website.

He was injured in Tuesday's Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain, which Madrid won 1-0.

"Following tests carried out on Marcelo in the Sanitas la Moraleja University Hospital, the player has been diagnosed with a muscle contraction in his left thigh,' the statement said on Thursday, reports Efe.

"His recovery will continue to be assessed," the statement noted.

The 30-year-old Brazilian international had to leave the field during Tuesday's match after 33 minutes as he felt discomfort in his thigh.

Marcelo will miss Sunday's La Liga match against Sevilla away at the Sanchez Pizjuan stadium.

“I’m proud to wear this shirt. It’s an honour to defend this badge”

Marcelo started playing five-a-side football at the age of 9 and by 13 he was at Fluminense. He comes from quite a poor family and almost had to leave the football academy because he couldn’t afford to pay for the bus to take him to training. Nevertheless, his determination and his ability made him fight for what he loved and he was best at: football.
 
Marcelo came to Europe when he was 18 having already triumphed in Brazil. He is a very fast, attacking full-back who has worked hard since his arrival to take the opportunities that his coaches have given him to secure a place in the first team.
 
In 2006, he made his debut for Brazil against Wales and made his mark immediately. He scored a fantastic goal which showed all of his best features as a footballer. Strength and speed in defence, great skill on the ball and a constant attacking threat on the left wing.

Marcelo Vieira

This name uses Portuguese naming customs. The first or maternal family name is Vieira and the second or paternal family name is da Silva.

Marcelo

Marcelo with Brazil in 2014
Personal information
Full name	Marcelo Vieira da Silva Júnior[1]
Date of birth	12 May 1988 (age 27)
Place of birth	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Height	1.74 m (5 ft 8 1⁄2 in)[2]
Playing position	Left back
Club information
Current team	Real Madrid
Number	12
Youth career
2002–2005	Fluminense
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2005–2006	Fluminense	30	(6)
2007–	Real Madrid	234	(17)
National team‡
2005	Brazil U17	3	(1)
2007	Brazil U20	4	(0)
2008–2012	Brazil U23	12	(1)
2006–	Brazil	41	(4)
Honours[show]
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22:25, 29 August 2015 (UTC). † Appearances (goals) ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 22:09, 8 September 2015 (UTC)

Marcelo Vieira da Silva Júnior (born 12 May 1988), known as Marcelo, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for Spanish club Real Madrid and the Brazil national team. Mainly a left back, he can also operate as a left winger.^[3]

He is very often compared to Roberto Carlos, who himself said Marcelo was his heir, the world's best left back and that "Marcelo possesses a better technical ability than me".^[4]

After his breakthrough season, Marcelo was praised by football legends such as Paolo Maldini^[5] and Diego Maradona,^[6] who also called him the best in his position.

Contents

  [hide] 

• 1 Club career
  • 1.1 Fluminense
  • 1.2 Real Madrid
    • 1.2.1 2009–10 season
    • 1.2.2 Breakthrough season: 2010–11
    • 1.2.3 2011–12 season
    • 1.2.4 2012–13 season
    • 1.2.5 2013–14 season
    • 1.2.6 2015–16 season
• 2 International career
  • 2.1 International goals
• 3 Club statistics
• 4 Honours
  • 4.1 Club
  • 4.2 Country
  • 4.3 Individual
• 5 Personal life
  • 5.1 Sponsorship
• 6 References
• 7 External links

Club career[edit]

Fluminense[edit]

Marcelo started playing futsal at the age of nine and by the age of 13, he was on the books of Fluminense in Rio de Janeiro. He comes from a very poor background and even considered quitting football, but his club considered him as one of their "crown jewels" and ensured that he continued playing.

Real Madrid[edit]

Marcelo joined Real Madrid during the January transfer window in 2007. On his arrival, club President Ramón Calderón said, "He is an important signing for us. He is a young player who will inject some freshness into the side and is part of our plan to bring younger players into the squad. We're very happy because he's a pearl that half of Europe wanted."^[7] Many spectators hailed him as Roberto Carlos' potential successor in the left-back role.

Marcelo made his debut as a substitute in the 2–0 defeat against Deportivo La Coruña on 7 January 2007.^[8] On 14 April 2007, then coach Fabio Capello gave Marcelo his first start for Real Madrid against Racing de Santander. Real Madrid controversially lost the game 2–1.^[9] In the 2007–08 season, Marcelo had started nearly all of Madrid's league games under the new manager Bernd Schuster. His ability, speed running across the field, attack, and defence had enabled him to become a very important player for Real Madrid.

After a string of poor performances in 2009, Marcelo found himself on the bench for much of the remaining season while under new manager Juande Ramos, mainly as deputy to the more defensive-minded Gabriel Heinze. Ramos deployed Marcelo as a winger on more than one occasion, and the Brazilian adapted well to his new role. He scored his first goal after receiving a heel flick from striker Gonzalo Higuaín and slotting the ball past the goalkeeper in Madrid's 4–0 thumping of Sporting de Gijón. After the game, coach Ramos declared that Marcelo's future would be positioned as a winger, but will push back to defense when required. Marcelo scored his second goal for Real Madrid in a victory over Almería, a powerful strike from outside of the box with his weaker right foot.

On 18 April 2009, he scored his third goal of his Real Madrid career, when he scored the only goal of the game against Recreativo de Huelva away from home.^[10] He scored his fourth goal against Sevilla at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán in April 2009.

2009–10 season[edit]

Under the next head coach Manuel Pellegrini, Marcelo consistently featured in the starting XI for his versatility and pace along the left flank in offensive and defensive roles. He continued to be employed as a left-winger under Pellegrini, and reached the top of the assist charts of La Liga in the 2009–10 season. He admitted in a press conference at the end of 2009, "I now feel better playing as a winger."^[11] His successful performance in Madrid's 2008–10 campaign earned him a contract extension on 5 February 2010 with the club until June 2015.^[12] This season proved to be his break-through season at the club.

Breakthrough season: 2010–11[edit]

In the 2010–11 season under new coach José Mourinho, Marcelo was back in his natural position of left back. He started all league games, paying back the coach's confidence in him with defensive steel and attacking intent and gained the coach's admiration. On 25 November 2010, Marcelo was named as a part of the 55 player shortlist for the FIFA World XI. He scored his first goal of the new season in a 1–0 win against RCD Espanyol on 13 February.^[13] He had a terrific match against Olympique Lyonnais in the Champions League. Showing his attacking flair and defensive skills, he opened the scoring with his first-ever Champions League goal and assisted Karim Benzema's goal, at the end he was named man of the match, of which Real went on to win 3–0, and progressed to the quarter-finals for the first time since 2004.^[14] Marcelo then continued his fine season by scoring in the second leg against FC Barcelona in the Camp Nou. The game ended 1–1. Marcelo's successful campaign in the Champions League has earned him a starting spot in UEFA's starting XI. Marcelo was heavily praised by the worldwide media this season, and many called him the best left back in the world. Diego Maradona said he was the third best player in La Liga, after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.^[6]

2011–12 season[edit]

Marcelo in 2012.

Marcelo was sent off on 17 August 2011 at Madrid's 3–2 loss to FC Barcelona. On 3 December 2011, Marcelo scored Madrid's third goal in a 3–0 victory over Sporting de Gijón in La Liga.

Paolo Maldini gave credits to Marcelo and called him the current left back, "who is a great attacker and a defender, a specialist of both areas."^[5]

Roberto Carlos named Marcelo as the world's best left back, saying. "He had more ability than me with the ball and he joins in better," and even called him his heir.^[4] Marcelo had shown great performances as a left back, such as in the Champions League quarter-finals against Cypriot club APOEL, while entering as a substitute in the 75th minute for Fábio Coentrão. Marcelo was part of the starting XI as Real Madrid claimed their 32nd league title.

Marcelo was also involved with the Brazilian Olympic football team at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

2012–13 season[edit]

Marcelo scored his first goal of the season against Manchester City in the Champions League Group Stage on 19 September, Real's first goal of a 3–2 win at the Santiago Bernabéu.^[15]

As of February 2013, Marcelo had returned from injury and captained Real Madrid on 23 February at the Estadio Riazor which ended in a 2-1 victory for Los Merengues. On 20 April, Marcelo played as the captain again against Real Betis at the Santiago Bernabéu. In the 14th minute, he sustained a muscle injury after intercepting a long through-ball, but the game ended in 3-1 victory for the home side nevertheless .

2013–14 season[edit]

Marcelo scored the opening goal for Real Madrid against Chelsea in the Guinness International Champions Cup 2013 final on 7 August, Real Madrid won 3–1.^[16] During the league season, he played 28 matches, and scored one goal, in a 3–0 win over Levante UD on 9 March.^[17]

Marcelo scored Real Madrid's third goal of their 4–1 win in the 2014 UEFA Champions League Final against city rivals Atlético Madrid, with an extra-time strike from outside the box after coming on as a substitute for Fábio Coentrão.^[18]

2015–16 season[edit]

On 10 July 2015, Marcelo signed a new contract with Real Madrid, keeping him at the club until 2020.^[19][20]

International career[edit]

Marcelo playing for Brazil against Croatia at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Marcelo scored on his Brazil debut against Wales at Tottenham Hotspur's White Hart Lane (the score finished 2–0). He picked up the ball just outside the Wales box and shot for a traditional Brazilian full-back goal. Marcelo has recently been compared to former Real Madrid and Brazilian national team left-back Roberto Carlos.^{[citation needed]} The two had played together during the second half of the 2006–07 seasonbefore Carlos' move to Turkish team Fenerbahçe.

He was called up for the 2008 Olympic squad, where he won a bronze medal.

In May 2010, he was named as one of the seven players serving as backup for Brazil's 2010 FIFA World Cup squad.^[21] Despite not being called up by then Brazil coach Dunga, he was selected again by new boss Mano Menezes for a friendly against the United States on 10 August 2010. He was the Man of the Match for a friendly 2–1 win against Mexico away on 11 October 2011, scoring the winner by dribbling past several players and then blasting the goal into the net.

Marcelo was selected as a member of Brazil to play in the 2013 Confederations Cup. He was the starting XI for all 5 matches, including the 3–0 victory over Spain in the final.

In the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Marcelo scored an own goal in the 11th minute of the opening game against Croatia on 12 June, deflecting a shot by Nikica Jelavić for the first goal of the competition.^[22] It was the first own goal that Brazil had scored at the World Cup,^[23] although they eventually won the match 3-1.

International goals[edit]

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	5 September 2006	White Hart Lane, London, England	Wales	2–0	2–0	Friendly
2	11 October 2011	Estadio TSM Corona, Torreón, Mexico	Mexico	1–2	1–2	Friendly
3	28 February 2012	AFG Arena, Switzerland	Bosnia and Herzegovina	0–1	1–2	Friendly
4	30 May 2012	FedEx Field, United States	United States	1–3	1–4	Friendly

Club statistics[edit]

Accurate as of 29 August 2015

Club	Season	League		Cup1		Europe		Other2		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Fluminense	2005	12	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	12	2
	2006	18	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	18	4
	Total	30	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	30	6
Real Madrid	2006–07	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	0
	2007–08	24	0	2	0	6	0	0	0	32	0
	2008–09	27	4	2	0	5	0	0	0	34	4
	2009–10	35	4	2	0	6	0	0	0	43	4
	2010–11	32	3	6	0	12	2	0	0	50	5
	2011–12	32	3	5	0	7	0	0	0	44	3
	2012–13	14	0	3	0	2	1	0	0	19	1
	2013–14	28	1	4	0	7	1	0	0	39	2
	2014–15	34	2	5	1	11	1	3	0	53	4
	2015–16	2	0	0	0	0	0	—		2	0
	Total	234	17	29	1	56	5	3	0	322	23
Career Total		264	23	29	1	56	5	3	0	352	29

¹ Includes Supercopa de España.
² Includes UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.

Honours[edit]

Club[edit]

Fluminense

• Campeonato Carioca: 2005
• Taça Rio: 2005

Real Madrid

• UEFA Champions League: 2013–14
• UEFA Super Cup: 2014
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2014
• La Liga: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2011–12
• Copa del Rey: 2010–11, 2013–14
• Supercopa de España: 2008, 2012

Country[edit]

Brazil

• Olympic Bronze Medal: 2008
• Olympic Silver Medal: 2012
• FIFA Confederations Cup: 2013
• FIFA U-17 World Cup Runner-up: 2005

Individual[edit]

• 2006 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A Team of the Year
• UEFA Team of the Year: 2011
• FIFA/FIFPro World XI: 2012

Personal life[edit]

In 2008, Marcelo married his longtime girlfriend Clarisse Alves and on 24 September 2009, they had their first child, a son named Enzo Gattuso Alves Vieira.^[24]

Marcelo shares a good friendship with club mates Cristiano Ronaldo and Pepe. He has a number of tattoos, including his shirt number and day of birth (12) tattooed onto his left arm.^[25]

His grandfather Pedro is also tattoed on his arm. San Pedro is his grandfather who paid the money so he could keep playing football back in Brazil. Marcelo dedicates every goal to him and his wife. He said for Real Madrid TV that if it wasn't for Pedro he would have never played football for Fluminense.^{[citation needed]} His grandfather died in July 2014, during the World Cup.^[26]

On 26 July 2011 Marcelo attained Spanish nationality, which allows him to be registered normally rather than as a non-EU player, of which there is a strict quota allowed.^{[citation needed]}

Sponsorship[edit]

In April 2013, Marcelo was unveiled as one of Adidas' new icons for the German brand during a promotional event at the Bernabéu store, showcasing the F50 adiZero and he joins an array of Real Madrid team mates that also wear the Adidas brand including Iker Casillas and Karim Benzema.^[27] At the event Marcelo said, "Throughout my career, I have achieved some of my dreams, and this is one too. Being next to these stars is fantastic. They have congratulated me, it's a great brand and I am happy."