It happened in the first training session. A group of players, led by Marcelo, travels at a high pace the training fields where Real Madrid usually train. At one point, Antonio Pintus, the whites’ new physical trainer, and one of the great signings of the Whites this season, urges him to slow down the pace of his steps. The Brazilian has been exercising with Marcos Llorente’s physical trainer since the beginning of the year and he has stopped training during his summer holidays. Marcelo looks happy, happy, as well as worried: with the departure of Sergio Ramos he has become the first captain of the Whites. He has one year left on his contract and he wants to match (surely surpass) Paco Gento, the Madrid player with the most titles won in the history of the white team.
Luck, dodging the Brazilian the last two seasons, seems to have taken a script turn for the better for his interests: Ferland Mendy, the French full-back who signed Zidane two years ago, is still injured: he has not recovered from a periostitis tibial that prevented him from finishing the season and attending the recently concluded Eurocup. The winger has not been able to train at the same pace as his teammates in the almost three weeks that Ancelotti’s men have been working. That problem is an open door for Marcelo to start the campaign defending the white left-back. Last season he only took part in 19 matches between all competitions (out of 52 possible, 36.52%). But of those 19 crashes, he only completed eight (42.10%). Figures very far from what had been disputed. It is true that since 2018, the Brazilian seems to have taken a step back in his performance, but he wants to leave it behind. As fast as possible.
Marcelo’s general data.
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Despite everything, the Brazilian has not lost his smile. What’s more, the return of Ancelotti favors him: their relationship is close and close, better than good. The Italian coach knew how to get the best version of Marcelo in his first stage (2013-2015). In addition to the arrival of Pintus and his extra work at home, everything begins to take on another color. Against Glasgow Rangers he will once again lead his teammates onto the pitch. He knows that he cannot and should not be distracted: the competition lurks. First with Alaba, newcomer to the White House. The Austrian footballer knows what it is to play in that position: he did so for more than a decade in the ranks of Bayern Munich. Alaba prefers to play as a left-handed center-back, something that relaxes any tension with the Brazilian, but at any given moment he can act there without problem.
The second threat is starred by Miguel Gutiérrez, a youth squad who has not been stomping, but running over everyone who gets in front of him: as the homegrown players who knocked down the door of the first team always did. Miguel Gutiérrez, one of the key pieces of youth Madrid who raised the first Youth League for the Madrid Museum, debuted last season with Zidane and He has already left pearls of his extraordinary talentor: gave an anthological assistance to Modric in Granada for the Croatian to open the scoring. That day, Marcelo did not travel to Granada. Zidane defended him: “If he has not come, it is because of his inconvenience.” Other sources indicated that there had been a discussion between coach and player … Now a new campaign is coming. And suddenly, another door opens for Marcelo. And the Brazilian does not want to be closed early …