In an interview, Marcelo talked about the El Clásico matches during his time at Real Madrid and his feelings about facing Lionel Messi multiple times.
What do you think of El Clásico during the Guardiola and Mourinho era?
“That was absolutely spectacular. I still talk about those days with Casillas, Piqué, and Puyol. We fought tooth and nail on the pitch, but these are all wonderful memories we shared together. The disputes and conflicts on the field are part of football. We always had respect for each other and strived to fight for Real Madrid and Barcelona. These are all part of football, but I think that was an era that will go down in history.”
You’re friends with Piqué now...
“I’ve always been friends with Piqué. But when I played for Real Madrid and he for Barcelona, there were no friends on the pitch—we were rivals. But that never affected our relationship. We competed fiercely on the field, and off it, everything remained the same.”
Some say the national team was divided because of these issues—isn’t that an exaggeration?
“I don’t know. I don’t have specific details. I don’t think they had any major problems in the national team.”
How does it feel to defend Messi?
“Defending him is so hard—I’m still looking for answers to this day. He’s incredible. I often talk about it with my kids, especially my youngest son. He loves watching videos on social media and knows many past stars. We often watch videos of Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi together. Sometimes he asks me: ‘Was it hard to defend them?’ I say: ‘Just watch these videos and you’ll see how hard it was.’ I’m lucky to have been born in such a wonderful era and compete against Messi and Ronaldo—these are all beautiful moments worth keeping in memory.”
How much would Marcelo be worth today?
“Me? €6 million.”
Now some left-backs have transfer fees as high as €50 million or even €60 million...
“Who?” Reporter:Carreras, Cucurella...
“Oh right, but that wouldn’t be me, because I joined Real Madrid when I was 18.”
Then how much were you worth at your peak?
“I don’t know. I have absolutely no idea.”
