The club announced on Saturday the termination of the contract of its defender Marcelo by mutual consent, without revealing the reasons for the departure of the former Real Madrid defender (36 years old).

On Friday, Marcelo got into a fight with Menezes during the 2-2 draw with Gremio, in an altercation that was broadcast live.

Marcelo was set to play before Menezes decided not to play him, after the coach responded to something the Brazilian defender said, and ordered him to return to the bench.

“I was going to bring on Marcelo at that moment, but I heard something I didn’t like, so I changed my mind,” Menezes said in a post-match press conference, without giving further details.

What happened?

  • According to Brazilian newspaper Globo Esporte, Marcelo told his coach: “You are approaching me to look good in front of the fans,” as he prepared to enter the match in the final minutes.
  • At that moment, Menezes was giving Marcelo his final instructions before he took to the pitch.
  • In response to the player’s words, the coach chose to return him to the bench.
  • Moreover, various Brazilian media outlets have revealed incidents involving Marcelo, which have caused unrest within Fluminense , both among his teammates and club staff.
  • According to ESPN, the main issue was Marcelo’s “inappropriate behaviour” with the club’s management.
  • The player would tell his younger teammates that “physical training is not important, because talent alone is enough.”