Marcelo is one of the most important players in Real Madrid history and he has more than earned his status as a legend.
He joined the club in the winter transfer window of the 2006/07 season, at the age of 18, and has now left the club at the age of 34 and as the most decorated player in the club’s history, with 25 titles. Among them, he has won LaLiga Santander six times.
However, for Madridistas and football fans in general, the Brazilian means much more than just his many titles.
His supporters have seen him grow as an athlete and as a person, from the young Marcelo who arrived in Spain with youthful energy to the player who was captain last season, showing maturity and still putting his talent on display.
The Brazilian is leaving Real Madrid after having participated in 16 editions of LaLiga Santander, totalling more than 30,000 minutes in the competition.
He started 348 of the 386 matches he played in, scoring 26 goals and providing 63 assists in the white shirt (for a rounded average of a goal every 15 matches and an assist every six games).
His most recent goal was scored against SD Eibar in June of 2020, while his last assist was given to Rodrygo, against RCD Espanyol to make it 1-0 in the match that crowned Real Madrid as champions of the 2021/22 LaLiga Santander season in front of their own fans.
If highlighting one league campaign from his time at Real Madrid, it would be 2016/17, a season in which Marcelo was at his physical and mental peak.
Despite not being one of the seasons in which he played the most minutes, his influence on the team’s play was significant and he hit 10 league assists for the only time in his career, in addition to two goals, which were very important on the way to that year’s LaLiga Santander title.
In terms of his involvement across one league campaign, the 2009/10 season was the most solid of his career, as it was the only year in which he surpassed the 3,000 minutes barrier, playing 35 matches (34 as a starter).
It should be noted that, during this period, with Manuel Pellegrini as coach, Marcelo was still finding himself as a player and the Chilean often used him as a left-winger, which provided him with more opportunities.
He responded on the pitch with four goals and nine assists that term, his best season in terms of his direct involvement in goals.
In short, a legendary Real Madrid and LaLiga player, who grew up in the pressure cooker of the Bernabéu to become a global star, is leaving.
The Brazilian full-back made 386 appearances in LaLiga Santander, scoring 26 goals and providing 63 assists.
