In response to the question of which Barcelona player he ‘feared’ the most, the legendary Real Madrid player Marcelo chose not to mention Lionel Messi.
Brazil’s full-back position Although Marcelo began his professional career at Fluminense, he eventually moved to Madrid in the year 2007.
Over the course of his time in Spain, the full-back became one of the most talented players in his position within the team.
Marcelo played for Los Blancos a total of 546 times and scored 38 goals during his time with the team. He was also the recipient of a number of trophies, including six titles in La Liga and five titles in the Champions League.
Marcelo also competed against Barcelona, Madrid’s fierce rivals, on multiple occasions. He faced off against players such as Lionel Messi, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, and Sergio Busquets.
However, in a recent interview, the 36-year-old player disclosed that Messi was not the Barcelona player that he feared the most.
Carles Puyol, a legendary center back from Spain, was the player that Marcelo specifically chose.
“I remember that I made a play, I dribbled one, and Puyol comes,” he joked while explaining his decision, as reported by SPORT.
When I was close to the ball, I believed that he would not be able to reach it, and that he would not tackle me. However, he reached out and dived from a distance. The situation would have been over if I hadn’t stood up and put my foot down.
Puyol is a legendary figure in the history of Barcelona and Spain. He has played 682 times for the Catalan club, during which time he has scored 25 goals and assisted on 14 others.
The Spanish player was well-known for his leadership abilities as well as his straightforward approach to the game.
In a previous interview, Marcelo discussed the manner in which he dealt with Messi during matches where the El Clasico was being played.
“Messi did not talk during the games, and I tried not to talk to him because he was quiet,” he said. “I tried not to say anything to him.” We have always made the point that we ought to leave him in that state.
“Because if we decided to obstruct him, we would provoke him and then he would get angry, and if he was angry, he became more and more difficult to handle.”
After a remarkable career in European football, during which he played for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, Messi announced his departure from the continent in 2023 to sign with Inter Miami, a team that competes in Major League Soccer.
During that time period, the 37-year-old player has scored 34 goals across 39 matches.
