Recently, former Real Madrid defender Marcelo gave an exclusive interview to former Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas. The two Real Madrid legends talked about topics about the World Cup.
Casillas: Regarding the national team, do you also feel a bit regretful? You always had so many excellent players, but failed to take one more step to reach a final?
Marcelo: “I think the national team is really difficult. Players spend very little time together and have to integrate for a long time just like at a club. Everyone must have the same goals and the same direction. If there are too many changes or someone is not on the same page, it becomes extremely difficult. Individual ability alone is completely insufficient. I think the current Brazil team, under Carlo Ancelotti—a top coach like him—along with these players, has a chance to go far.”
Casillas: “Did that 1-7 loss to Germany really hurt?”
Marcelo: “It was so painful, really painful. It was like a nightmare. The kind of nightmare where you know it’s a nightmare but you just can’t wake up. Goal after goal, it was very cruel. But after that, I told myself: I don’t want my life to be defined by such a heavy defeat. It was a world-class, national-level humiliation, very bad for us. But I had to move forward and try to change everything. Some people will say: ‘You were also in that 7-1.’ Yes, but I gave my all for the national team. It happened, and I can only keep moving forward.”
“Do you ask if I want to win the World Cup? Of course I do. Wearing the national team jersey and winning honors for my country feels completely different. Many people don’t understand. They think we only belong to the club, but in fact, we also have a national sentiment engraved in our blood. When I was a kid, I watched Dunga lift the World Cup in 1994, and I thought: ‘I want to be Dunga one day.’ Later, I saw Manolo Sanchis lift the Champions League trophy in 1998, and I thought again: ‘I want to be like that.’ So it’s perfectly normal for a player to love both the club and the national team.”
