Though on paper it should have been one of the best in the country’s chequered history, 2014 was a year to forget for most Brazilians both on and off the field as Latin America’s largest nation plundered deep into a economic, political and social crisis. For Real Madrid left back Marcelo, darkness crept in prior to the doomed 2014 tournament on home soil however when first of all overlooked by Carlo Ancelotti for that year’s Champions League final in Lisbon in favour of Fabio Coentrão.
Yet this was only the beginning. Days later, at Brazil’s Granja Comary training base, he received the news that his grandfather Pedro, who pushed young Marcelo’s development from the beaches of Botafogo to the futsal courts and then his first professional contract at Fluminense whilst driving him around Rio in his beat up Volkswagen Variant, had been thrust onto the losing end of his battle with cancer.
In reflection, M12 has since expressed comfort that his biggest inspiration at least got to see him lift the big-eared trophy for Real Madrid. Given the fact that he made his way on to the pitch in the 59th minute in a nailbiting encounter that went all the way to extra time, he still played an important part in his club’s landing of “La Decima” and the tragedy of having not started the all-Madrid affair against Ateltico is perhaps a little overplayed in retrospect.
At the time, one would imagine that there were internal vows to win the World Cup for Pedro and no better place to fulfil this promise than in their home land. Matching an own goal in the opening tie against Croatia however to a miserable performance in the 1-7 dismantling by eventual champions Germany, it was a tournament to forget for all concerned yet none more so than Marcelo.
Luiz Felipe Scolari stepping down to pave way for the autopsy, reappointed coach Dunga froze him out of the national side from 2014 onwards as many suggested that their personal relationship had been troubled ever since Marcelo was snubbed for South Africa 2010 during Dunga’s first reign and that the USA 1994 captain had problems with the player’s “posture”.
"Cristiano does not own Real Madrid. Because Cristiano is in Madrid, Neymar cannot? Neymar always has the door open for him. Madrid always wants the best players. Someday Neymar will play in Real Madrid. "
#HalaMadrid
Then, in 2016, came a call from Tite. Marcelo, now a regular under Zinedine Zidane and central to the France legend’s first Champions League win, again at the expense of Atletico Madrid, was procured to “start from scratch” when the national team’s Russia 2018 qualification plans had almost been completely derailed by Dunga. Ever the perfectionist, demands were made by Tite and his staff for Marcelo, who was believed to be a little heavy, to get into peak physical shape so that they could extract the best possible form from him.
And the campaign paid dividends for both club and country. In the 2016/2017 season, Marcelo reached the height of his powers as Real Madrid became the first team to win the Champions League back-to-back and clinched a first La Liga since 2012. Reimagined under Tite, a previously faltering Brazil confirmed their involvement in the World Cup as far in advance as March 2017 with Marcelo his first choice at left-back and regarded by many to be the best on the planet in the position.
Now off they go to Russia, with Marcelo made a three times consecutive Champions League winner and still just 30 years old while dreaming of making amends for 2014 – his darkest year in more ways than one. If he manages to add another medal to his bulging collection, the most prized of all, perhaps even more valuable than those four won on the continent, then this one is most definitely for Pedro.
