Veteran Brazilian defender and Real Madrid legend Marcelo has left Fluminense, his boyhood club, two months before his contract was due to end. Fluminense announced the termination by mutual agreement, although no specific reasons were disclosed. The decision came shortly after a reported touchline dispute with coach Mano Menezes during Friday’s match against Gremio.
In the final minutes of the game, Marcelo was set to be substituted in, but Menezes, reacting to a comment Marcelo made, sent him back to the bench. Menezes later clarified, “He wasn’t going in to solve any problem for us, just to help us maintain the lead for a few minutes.” Fluminense led 2-1 at the time, but Gremio equalized with a late penalty.
Marcelo, widely regarded as one of the best left-backs of all time, began his career in Fluminense’s youth ranks before joining Real Madrid in 2007. He returned to Fluminense in 2023 after a brief period with Olympiakos. He has yet to comment on his departure.