Former Real Madrid star Marcelo has had his contract with his childhood team, Fluminense, cut short by two months, following a heated exchange with coach Mano Menezes on the sidelines.
The Brazilian club released a statement confirming that the decision to terminate the contract was mutual, emphasizing that “the institutional and emotional bonds between Fluminense and Marcelo remain intact.”
Marcelo has chosen not to make any comments regarding this development.

Last year, he achieved significant success with Fluminense, securing both the Rio de Janeiro state championship and the Copa Libertadores, adding to the accolades from his early career at his first professional club, which he joined before moving to Real Madrid in 2006 at the age of 18.
During his time at Madrid, he celebrated numerous victories, including five Champions League and six La Liga titles.

The disagreement with Menezes occurred during a Brazilian league match against Gremio. The coach intended to substitute the 36-year-old Marcelo into the game during the final moments but instead opted for striker John Kennedy after perceiving a disagreement with Marcelo’s approach to the situation.
At that moment, Fluminense was ahead 2-1, but a late penalty decision allowed Gremio to level the match shortly before the end, resulting in a disappointing draw for Fluminense at the Maracanã Stadium.

Menezes explained in a press conference that his decision not to bring Marcelo on was influenced by what he called an unsatisfactory exchange. “I was going to bring Marcelo in at that time, but I heard one thing that I did not like and I changed my mind,” he stated. The coach clarified the role Marcelo was supposed to play was not to solve any issues but rather to maintain the current score.

Fluminense currently sits in 12th place in the Brazilian league standings, accumulating 37 points from 32 games played this season.