When Ronaldo Made Marcelo Want to Pack His Bags…
Once upon a football pitch, Cristiano Ronaldo’s leap to Real Madrid in 2009 nearly turned teammate Marcelo into a runaway. As Ronaldo fled Manchester United’s embrace to shake hands with the Spanish team for a whopping £80 million, Marcelo recalled thinking, “Should I stay, or should I go?” The duo’s kickoff wasn’t all roses; it was a clash of shin guards and fists.
Known for sprinting faster than a cheetah chasing lunch, Ronaldo’s move to Madrid began with starry signings like Kaka and Karim Benzema. Meanwhile, Marcelo was ready to trade his Real Madrid jersey for a ticket out, all thanks to a pre-signing scrap with Ronaldo. “The man elbowed me out of nowhere; I had to kick back!” Marcelo shared with a chuckle, reminiscing their 2008 skirmish on the turf.
But all was forgiven on the training ground, where grabbing each other by the neck became a secret handshake of sorts. Cristiano and Marcelo ended up as football family, winning everything the beautiful game could offer. Now retired, Marcelo left football with a trophy cabinet bigger than a mansion, while Ronaldo penned a heartfelt farewell: “To my neck-grabbing comrade, congratulations on a stellar career.”
