Picture Credit: Twitter
Brazilian left-back Marcelo Vieira got extremely emotional as he bid farewell to his club Real Madrid after 16 seasons with the senior team. The 34-year-old ended his tenure at the Santiago Bernabeu as their most decorated player with 25 trophies with five Champions League titles.
On Saturday, the Brazilian posted an emotional message on his Instagram about his farewell and thanked all his teammates and fans for their support. The post said, “Tomorrow at 13:00 I will have my @realmadrid farewell ceremony in Valdebebas. It is gonna be a day full of emotions but there is no other way to close this stage of my life but with a smile in my face and my heart full of love and pride. Thank you everyone for the support and see you tomorrow! With all my heart I will always be a Madridista!”
At his institutional farewell ceremony, the club president Florentino Perez gave a heartfelt speech honouring the Madrid legend. He talked about how Marcelo arrived at the club just before turning 18 and won everything. Perez then praised the Brazilian’s free-flowing play style that allowed him to dominate over years and win multiple titles.
“You’re one of the best left-backs in the history of our club and football,” Perez
Perez said, “This is a day of many emotions for everyone in the Real Madrid family. We remember special memories as we give a special farewell to our captain, Marcelo. He became a man at the Bernabéu and he became a legend, winning more titles than any other player at Real Madrid. You arrived just turning 18, but you’ve been here for 16 years and have won everything. Without doubt, you’re one of the best left-backs in the history of our club and football in general.”
“You’ll always be one of the great references for Real Madrid,” Perez
The president continued: “As well as all the stats, we loved the way you played on the pitch and how you played with happiness. That was key to achieving such successes. To have the most titles in the history of Real Madrid is something only a few special people can aspire to. Now, you’ll always have a great responsibility, because you’ll always be a reference point for the youngsters coming through. I’m sure you’ll always be one of the great references for Real Madrid.”