Former Real Madrid Player Marcelo Reveals Toughest Opponent, But It's Not Lionel Messi
Real Madrid have had some amazing players, especially at left-back. One of those was Brazilian Marcelo, who won plenty of silverware during his time in the Spanish capital.
The left-back played for 15 seasons after moving from Brazilian side Fluminense. After a spell at Olympiacos in Greece, he returned to his home team before retiring in 2024. He still has his heart very close to the club, not just because of his time there, but also because one of his sons plays in the Real Madrid academy.
During a recent interview, Marcelo was asked about his career, especially his time in Madrid. One of those was who his toughest opponent was, and despite mentioning Linoel messi, he was not the answer.
Marcelo Mentioned Former Teammate As Toughest Opponent
In an interview with DJMario (h/t SPORT), Marcelo mentioned several players who gave him difficult games. That included Barcelona's Lionel Messi. However, despite giving him plenty of plaudits, he did not choose the Argentinian, but instead a former teammate at Real Madrid.
“Messi was very tough. Jesus Navas also made it very difficult for me, and I found Xabi Prieto very difficult to defend against, too. Pedrito was also very good. I’ll always go with Cristiano. Messi is incredible. We’ve enjoyed both of them, well, I’ve only enjoyed one. I’m a die-hard Cristiano fan."Marcelo
The two faced off many times during training sessions at Valdebebas. However, they have also faced off when playing for their respective countries. In a previous interview, Marcelo spoke about the meeting between Brazil and Portugal before Ronaldo moved to Spain. per La Revuelta (h/t Talk Sport).
"My relationship with Cristiano started with a fight. In a Brazil-Portugal match, I hit him because he was going too fast. He overstepped, elbowed me, I responded with a kick, and then he grabbed me by the neck.Marcelo
The two formed one of the best partnerships down the left flank for several years. The phrase iron sharpens iron definitely came into play when the two came up against each other in training, as Ronaldo moved from left to right in the forward positions.
As mentioned, Marcelo's son Enzo is currently playing for the Real Madrid academy. He also selected to play for Spain over Brazil, the country his father represented. Marcelo was happy with his choice, revealing the country had been good to him and his family.
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Jordan Merritt is a freelance soccer writer who covers Real Madrid CF On SI. He is an obsessive soccer fan and an Arsenal supporter.
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